Suspended Hindustan Unilever worker commits suicide in Assam

Guwahati, Aug 19 (UNI) Even as when Assam Industries and Commerce Minister Pradyut Bordoloi hinted at early reopening of the Hindustan Unilever Limited(HUL) Personal Products(PP) factory at Doomdoma in Tinsukia district, a suspended employee of the factory committed suicide due to depression yesterday.

Official sources today informed that Ratul Bora, who was among the seven leaders of the workers' union suspended for allegedly inciting trouble in the factory, hanged himself at his residence in Rupai Santipur area of Doomdoma.

Investigation was on regarding the cause of the death, although it is suspected that severe depression may have led him to take the extreme step. Mr Bora was the assistant general secretary of the Hindustan Lever(PP Factory) Workers' Union and was actively involved in the workers' strike against the alleged anti-worker stand of the company.

The management had declared an indefinite lockout in its Doomdoma factory, often touted as a success story by the state government, on July 15 following labour problems.

Trouble erupted after the management had refused to pay the Settlement Implementation Allowance(SIA) to employees from April this year, as agreed upon in 2004, claiming that the workers had failed to comply with the clauses of the agreement and had indulged in various illegal activities such as flash strikes and work stoppages.

Work was halted at the factory since July 6 last after the workers gheraoed and kept executives of the factory confined in a room for 16 hours on that day.

The Labour Commission's attempts at breaking the impasse through negotiations at the initial stage itself had failed. Industries Minister Pradyut Bordoloi, however, yesterday hinted at reopening the factory shortly.

He said, ''We can expect a positive development very soon.'' The workers had recently formed a new labour union, the Hindustan Unilever Limited PPF Sramik Sangha, as a breakaway faction of the original union.

UNI