More than a hundred employees at the Vazhakulam Agro and Fruit Processing Company, near Muvattupuzha, are on strike demanding their salary.
A spokesman for KHDP Employees’ Association said salary of nearly 115 employees had not been paid over the last five months and that even their statutory payments to Employees’ Provident Fund were pending. “Over and above the 115 people employed by the fruit processing company, there are also hands employed in the marketing section,” said the spokesman.
He also alleged that the operations of the fruit processing company had come to a halt and that pineapple was not being procured by the company.
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A pineapple farmer said fruit procurement had come to a total halt and that over the last three months the factory had been idling for want of work.
A general body meeting of the company, convened early this month, had to be cancelled after the employees demanded their salaries. Sources said the employees were assured that their pending salaries would be paid. However, the promise had not been kept by the management.