The two-decade-old struggle of workmen to revive at the Cement Corporation of India's (CCI) Adilabad cement factory will finally come to an end in less than a week when the time provided to them to opt for voluntary separation scheme (VSS) ends.
The closure notice, which also terminates the services of the employees retrospectively from October 31, 2008, was served on February 20, following dismissal of a writ petition filed by the CCI Employees Union (CCIEU) in the Hyderabad High Court.
The notice has caused bitterness among the employees who allege that the management had not followed established rules of separation. It has also brought out their latent bitterness on account of politicians and leaders betraying their cause despite promising all help.
There are 47 workmen, two supervisors and an officer who had declined to accept any offer of separation during the last decade. Some of them live in the dilapidated residential quarters in the factory premises itself.
The CCI Adilabad unit was among the seven, out of 10 factories run by the corporation, listed for closure in 2007, a decade after production of cement was suspended in the factory. The CCIEU had however, filed a writ petition challenging the closure in 2008 in the then AP High Court which granted the employees a stay.
While this writ was dismissed by the Hyderabad High Court, it issued directions to the CCI management, as it dismissed another writ, not to hand over assets of the factory to a successful bidder (the unit is being sold through tender process) until three months during which the State Government can impress upon the Centre to think in terms of revival. These decisions paved way for serving of the closure notice.
“As per relevant Labour laws, the management needs to take fresh approval for closure and give us three months’ time to opt for the VSS instead of fixing October 31, 2008 as the day of closure of the factory,” CCIEU general secretary S. Vilas argued.
“How can the management ignore the fact that it has recognised us as employees on rolls since 2007 and extended all service benefits,” he added, pointing out faults in the process.
“We now look up to the State Government to pressure the Centre to cancel the sale of the factory. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had promised to do so during the last election campaign in Adilabad,” recalled CCIEU president T. Rajanna.
