More than 300 workers of Britannia factory at Shakurpur have been on strike after they were retrenched on July 7.
On Sunday, around 150 workers continued a sit-in protest outside the plant premises for the seventh day after the employers refused to consider their demands for reinstatement as permanent workers.
‘No prior notice’The workers claimed they had been retrenched without settlement of their full wages and Provident Fund benefits. “Three months back, the factory employed four contractors and started managing us through them. Since then, they increased our working hours, while reducing the overtime rate from double to single. Now, they have removed 300 of us without any prior notice, and have refused to respond to our questions and efforts for negotiations,” said Luv Saini, one of the retrenched workers.
‘Where is our wage?’“They charged us money when we applied for the job and now want to fire us before we demand our legal dues. We were offered Rs.420 a day as wages, but got paid Rs.329 and that reflects on our wage slips as well. We got Rs.250 after Provident Fund deductions. Even for workers whose Provident Fund should be Rs.10,000 by now, they have given Rs.1,500-Rs.2,000. Where is the rest of our wages?” asked Gaurav Gupta, who has worked in the plant for three years.
‘Grievances not resolved’While the workers approached the labour court at Nimdi Colony on Friday, their grievances were not resolved, alleged workers.
“We said we do not wish to work under the contractors and that our jobs should be restored but the officials did not cooperate,” said Gaurav. The workers who sat on a dharna near the plant premises at Britannia Chowk said they would continue their protests.
Assistant Labour Commissioner (South-West and North Delhi) U.K. Sinha did not respond to SMSs.
Published - July 14, 2014 10:58 am IST
