Not letting the man on hunger strike for eight days to push himself any further, the police arrested and shifted George Thomas of FACT PD Workers’ Organisation to hospital on Sunday after his health deteriorated.
Mr. George’s place was taken up by FACT Employees’ Organisation (BMS) secretary P.B. Gopinath. The employees have been on a relay hunger strike over the last 41 days in front of the headquarters of FACT. In toto, protest by FACT employees and officers has clocked 140 days.
Political and trade union leaders who addressed the protesting FACT employees have called for immediate government intervention to save FACT from its financial crisis.
A statement issued by Save FACT Action Committee said the political leadership in the State should immediately get the approval for a financial package as recommended by the Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises.
The statement claimed that though the Union Budget had not set aside any money for rehabilitation of FACT, funds from the Union Ministry of Fertilizers and Chemicals could be channelled for the purpose.
The action committee statement also claimed that getting the financial package for FACT would not violate the Model of Code of Conduct that has kicked in after the election dates were declared.