RAMANATHAPURAM
Workers of Tamil Nadu Salt Corporation (TNSC) in Valinokkam in the district, owing allegiance to the CITU, deferred their road roko agitation planned for Thursday to protest the alleged move to privatise the corporation after the management assured them that there would be no privatisation or retrenchment of workers.
More than 500 workers, including 200 women, gathered at East Coast Road junction to stage the road roko in the morning when revenue and police officials intervened and offered to take up the issue with the management and find an amicable solution.
After four-hour-long talks, the management gave a letter, stating that the corporation had called a tender only for operation and maintenance of its refinery unit, established recently with the aid of Tata Trusts to produce iodised and double fortified salt and denied any privatisation move.
In the letter, P.K. Dillikumar, General Manager, categorically said there would no privatisation and the existing workers would not be affected. The tender would be opened as per schedule on Friday but a final decision would be taken only after talks with workers’ union leaders. No one had applied so far in response to the tender, which would be closed at 3 p.m. on Friday, he said.
As the management assured the workers that there would be no privatisation and agreed to take a final call after holding talks with them on September 26, the workers decided to defer the agitation, M. Sivaji, CITU district secretary, said.
He said workers opposed the tender as they apprehended that it would ultimately lead to the refinery being handed over to a private company. They also feared that once it was done, production of three varieties of ‘Amma Salt’ would go into the hands of the private firm, Mr. Sivaji said.
Mr. Dillikumar said the corporation had called for the tender for operation and maintenance of the refinery for one year to stabilise production. The unit had to be run for three shifts to produce 120 tonnes of iodised and double fortified salt per day, but at present it could be run for only one shift for want of staff and two more automated packing units, he said.
The corporation could not recruit staff immediately as it was facing financial constraints, he added.
