Hopes of an early resolution to the deadlock created at the Uttarpara unit of Hindustan Motors (HM), maker of Ambassador cars, receded with the company management deciding to stay away from the tripartite meeting called by the State Government on Tuesday.
A spokesperson of the company said the management had requested for some clarifications, which were hand delivered to the Deputy Labour Commissioner. “We have a confirmation from him that this meeting is being rescheduled, and are awaiting details.”
An office-bearer of one of the five unions, which were called for the meeting, told The Hindu that a demand was placed at the meeting to declare the work suspension illegal.
“We have also urged the Government to ensure adequate security at the factory as we have no faith on the private security now on duty.”
The 2,000–odd workers, some of whom stay at the company quarters, also feared that power and water connections might be snapped off by the management to make life tough for the workers and their families.
The government was planning to call the management on May 29, it was learnt.
The management of the C K Birla-owned company had slapped a ‘temporary suspension of work notice’, at the gates of the country’s oldest car factory, citing a plethora of reasons, which included paucity of funds, low productivity, indiscipline, and lack of demand for its core product, Ambassador cars, which ruled the Indian roads for nearly half a century.
