HM reopens today

Kolkata, May 09 (UNI) After the two-month-long stalemate between the management and the trade unions, Hindustan Motors(HM) today reopened its factory at Uttarpara even as the Sangrami Sramik Karmachari Union(SSKU) refused to budge an inch from its stand.

C K Birla Group Corporate Communication General Manager Soni Srivastav told UNI that the production would be full stream in the next 48 hours.

Last evening the suspension of work was lifted following the bipartite agreement between the management and three trade unions - CITU, SSU and IFTU.

A company release said, " The attendance of the workforce was around 80 per cent, higher than the average attendance reported around this time of the year when most workers go for annual leave.

" She said the management would look into various demands of the unions.

'' Law and order has been maintained and the situation in and around the factory is peaceful as assured by the unions, '' she stated.

She said the management had agreed for a dialogue with the registered trade unions to look into their demands.

The release also mentioned that "disbursement of loan to the workers had been worked out to ease their immediate financial pressure.

The management would review the suspension order of 30-odd workers.

Though the three unions came to an agreement, the SSKU and INTUC, however, did not become a party to it.

The SSKU today submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at the Writer's Buildings, demanding his intervention.

SSKU sources said the memorandum would reiterate their earlier demands, which included job permanancy of the "badli" workers, withdrawal of chargesheet against all the workers, lifting of disciplinary action among other things.

Though the management claimed that 80 per cent workers joined work today, SSKU representative said out of the total 4500 workers of the Uttarpara factory, atleast 3000 are SSKU members.

'' Nominal number of workers have joined work today, '' they claimed.

Yesterday state Labour Minister Mrinal Banerjee said since two unions opposed the agreement, the state government did not sign it.

He said, " If the truce fails, the onus will be on the management and supporting unions. " It might be mentioned that the Hindustan Motors' Uttarpara plant, the country's oldest automobile unit manufacturing Ambassador cars, had been facing labour strife since long.

UNI