The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Jute workers resent wage agreement

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 18, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Jute workers resent wage agreement

Staff Reporter

“Detrimental to workers’ interests”

Incentive system compromised: CITU
Workers abstain from duty for three days

ELURU: Lack of consensus among jute workers over the wage agreement reached between the management and the recognised union has reportedly led to unrest in Krishna Hessians, an arm of the East India Commercial Company, at Kotturu on the city outskirts.

‘Retrograde’

Workers in the Batch of Looms Department stayed away from duty for three days, resenting what they called the retrograde wage agreement.

The Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), the recognised union, entered into a wage agreement with the management on July 5.

Even as the IFTU was hailing it as a milestone in the history of the jute industry, the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), which is backing the protesting workers, said it was detrimental to the interests of workers, especially those working in the Batch of Looms Department.

B. Somaiah of the CITU alleged that the IFTU reached an agreement allegedly by compromising on the incentive system meant to encourage the best performing workers and the ‘token relieving system’.

Management stand

When the unions other than the recognised one demanded that the management initiate talks afresh on the agreement, Managing Director Brij Goal Lunani reportedly ruled out such a possibility and stated that he would be left with no choice but to declare a lockout in that case.

However, peace was restored, for the time being at least, when workers resumed duties.

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