HM management claims flow of raw materials out of closed unit

Kolkata, Apr 26 (UNI) Even as tension gripped the workers following lathicharge by police, the Hindustan Motors Management claimed that flow of raw materials had started coming out of the closed Uttarpara unit today signalling a slow movement towards normality.

The management today hoped that the six-week-long standoff with striking unions would be over shortly with the "normal flow of raw materials" and the suspension of work would be withdrawn once violence was stopped.

"The situation is under control and the flow of raw materials, that started this afternoon, is slowly normalising," C K Birla Group Manager, Corporate Communications, Soni Srivastav told UNI.

She claimed that besides the tools of Tata Motors, which were taken out of the factory following a court order, raw materials of Hindustan Motors moved in a few trucks.

The striking workers, under the banner of Sangrami Shramik Karmachari Union(SSKU), had initially put up resistance to the movement of the Tata Motors' equipment, which remained locked up in the factory following the 44-day strike, fearing that the management would use the opportunity to take out the company's raw materials as well.

During the agitation, police lathicharged to disperse the workers.

''There were only 50-60 agitators who tried to block the movement of the trucks. But later in the day, the situation started to normalise,'' she said adding, ''the management would lift suspension of work once violence stops and smooth flow of traffic continues.

''We stick to our earlier stand that the suspension of work will be lifted only after the unions allow the "ingress and egress" of raw materials,'' she said.

However, SSKU(a platform of various trade unions) secretary Amitabh Bhattacharya told UNI today that the stand-off would continue until their demands were met.

Tension gripped Hind Motors factory area and police resorted to mild lathi charge to restore normality when the workers' union stopped a container from going out of the factory.

Yesterday West Bengal Labour Minister Mrinal Banerjee, in a tripartite meeting, placed a three-point solution to end the HM imbroglio, even as the SSKU turned down the offer.

The tripartite meeting was attended by the HM management, representatives of the SSKU, AITUC and INTUC-affiliated unions, besides, Mr Banerjee on behalf of the state government.

The three-point solution include issues like DA and transfer of employees to figure in the discussion between the management and the unions within 15 days after the unit opens, pending salaries for the past 44 days be cleared, suspended employees not to be sacked but disciplinary action to continue.

Mr Bhattacharya said another meeting was due tomorrow.

UNI