Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Jan 29: The Jammu and Kashmir Cement Limited has suspended 13 employees for demanding salary which has been pending for last one year while the Managing Director, I Drabu, said that the action was taken against them for holding him hostage.
Giving details about the series of events that led to their suspension, employees said they were suspended for raising their demands with the Managing Director, during his visit to the factory on 26th December. “He came to the factory after five-six months. As usual, we were sitting outside the entry gate. After the MD reached the factory we followed him to the meeting hall. We went inside and revealed our ordeal. His behavior was rude,” an employee, working in the factory for last 20 years, said.
Fifteen employees who spoke on behalf of the employees received suspension orders on 11th January. Subsequently, the administration issued charge sheet on the incident. “Whereas instead of performing duties on the said day, you have unauthorizedly left place of your duty and assembled at the main gate of the factory. And entered conference hall where MD was holding an important official meeting regarding affairs of the plant,” the charge sheet said.
Confirming the suspension of the employees, the MD said out of the 13 employees who were listed in the charge sheet, FIR has been registered against them. “They held me hostage and tried to harm me. Security people moved to the police station. SHO entered the meeting hall and rescued me. Intervention of the police saved my life,” he said.
When asked about the pending salary of the employees, Drabu said: “I had received the funds from the Government for their salaries and was there to congratulate them. Instead they forcibly entered the room and locked the gates of the factory.”
He added employee who has biometric attendance would get salary. “Let them give me the attendance. They have not marked their attendance. I will release salaries of those who have biometric attendance,” he said.
There are around 550 employees working with the Corporation and nobody has received salary since January last year. The factory has an installed capacity of 1200 metric tons per day and produces 700 tons of cement on average and it was working normally until 5th August.
The employees accused Corporation of inflicting miseries on their families by withholding salaries. “My pockets have dried up, and I am unable to make both ends meet. The coldhearted response of authorities is taking a toll on our families,” an employees of the Corporation told Excelsior. He added: “We have no money to buy essentials. The money lenders have turned their backs at us.”
The employees lamented that they are unable to pay off their debts as their savings have exhausted. “Some of us even sold the jewelry of our wives to run their families. Others have got into debt,” another employees said. He added that the education of their children is worst affected as they are unable to pay their tuition fee. “My children have been shoved away from tuition centers several times. They are sitting at home for last three months and preparing assignments themselves,” he said.
To worsen things for the employees the Corporation has not deposited their provident fund despite deducting it from their salaries. ”
The Corporation has accumulated heavy loses over the last five-six years and that is the reason behind its inability to release salaries. The Corporation was a profit making till the financial year 2012-13.
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