KOCHI: Travancore Rayons Limited (Trayons) has moved one step closer to its reopening with the new promoters of the company and the labour unions signing an agreement at Aluva Palace on Tuesday.

A spokesman for Rayons Samrakshana Samithi said the conditions were ripe for the much-awaited reopening of the rayons unit.

The main conditions for the reopening were the agreements with the company's bankers and the workers.

The samithi spokesman said the settlement with the bankers had nearly been clinched.

President of the Ilanjikkal Group of Industries Joseph Varghese signed the agreement for the management. K. Chandran Pillai, MP, Saju Paul, MLA, P.P. Thankachan, UDF convener, V.P. Sasindran, Perumbavoor area secretary of the CPI (M), N.C. Mohanan, former chairman of Perumbavoor Municipality, A.P. Mathai of the INTUC, G. Sunil Kumar of the CITU, A. Chittaranjan of the BMS and K.C. Prabhakaran of the AITUC along with Managing Director of Rayons G. Jayaprakash, Works Manager Augustine Joseph, Personnel Manager Baby Jacob and Public Relations Officer P.V. Sukumaran were present.

The primary condition in the agreement was that all the employees in the company when it closed down in July 2001 would be inducted into the units being launched by the promoter within 30 months of the re-opening.

A 10-year agreement will be signed between the new promoter and the employees within six months of the company restarting production. The conditions in the present agreement will be part of the proposed long-term agreement. A joint committee comprising representatives of the management and workers will be constituted to suggest, through discussions, ways to increase productivity, improve quality and cut cost.

ESI, PF benefits

Once the regular employees of the company are re-inducted, canteen workers would be considered for induction into the workforce. Clearing the provident fund (PF) and Employees State Insurance (ESI) arrears is another condition.

Those employees who retired in 1995 will get their gratuity arrears within one month of the company reopening.

Those who retired between 1990 and 2001 will get their gratuity within the next 15 months, while those who retired after 2001 June will get their arrears in 10 months.

Saju Paul, MLA, said the trade unions expressed their eagerness to see that the rayons unit was reopened. Discussions with the company's bankers were nearly conclusive and no problems are expected in concluding a deal to enable the reopening of the rayons unit. The employees who are inducted into the company at the reopening will have their salaries revised based on the increments that were due to them during the period in which the company remained closed.

All those employees who agree to join the company will be paid an advance of Rs.10,000 each that they will have to repay in instalments of Rs.200 from the fourth month of the company restarting production.

The conditions in the labour agreement would be subject to the conditions in the proposed agreement between the new promoter and the Government of Kerala.

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