Troubles continue to mount for the Udyogamandal unit of Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL) with employees, protesting against non-payment of salaries for the last 11 months, blockading the movement of hydrogen peroxide from the factory premises on Saturday.
The employees started their protest action about 8 a.m. and it continued till late into the afternoon following which the company management convened a meeting of the employees and promised to pay them a portion of their salaries on Tuesday, trade union sources said.
The sources also claimed that HOCL employees, who were facing attachment threats stemming from outstanding property loans, would be given special assistance by the company management. Protest action by the employees tops a series of meetings and consultations among the HOCL unit employees after a representation from the company management for a sanction of Rs.96 crore to meet the salary arrears and payment of statutory dues.
Trade union sources had said earlier that they expected the Union government to sanction the amount as the company was in serious financial trouble and as efforts were being made to restart production at the Kochi unit. The HOCL employees had observed a ‘Protest Day’ in early March to draw the attention of the authorities to the plight of the unit here and to press for money for meeting the company’s day-to-day requirements.
