Tension prevailed at the Hindustan Photo Films (HPF), near here, on Monday following the workers resorting to an agitation in protest against a move of the management to halve the salaries of the employees.
Speaking to The Hindu, police sources said that following the announcement of a voluntary retirement scheme by the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries, most of the employees had left the ailing company. However, there were still about 157 workers and many of them were hoping that the company would be revived.
When they turned up at the company on Monday they were informed that they would get only half of what they were getting. The message conveyed by the decision was that they should also opt for voluntary retirement.
Blaming the officers numbering about 12 for the development, the workers prevented them from entering the company. Their contention was that the officers were not interested in the welfare of the workers. While officers opting for VRS will get a good amount, the workers will not get much, they said.
The general secretary of the HPF Workers Union owing allegiance to the INTUC H. Radhakrishnan regretted that despite the Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries G.M. Siddehwara assuring during his recent visit to the company that the government would do whatever is good for the company the salaries of the workers had been cut. He said that they will not accept the wages. On account of the development, security was beefed up at the company.
