At last, the impasse in the Chittivalasa Jute Mills at Tagarapuvalasa in Visakhapatnam district has been broken and it is likely to be reopened following an agreement between the management and the workers. It may be recalled that the mill, the oldest composite one in Andhra Pradesh, was closed following a lockout on April 20, 2009.
According to the agreement, the workers will report to work once power supply is restored. Within a few days, power may be restored and the clean-up job will be completed to make the mill fit for production.
The management declared a lockout on April 20, 2009, to reduce shifts from three to two following problems in power supply. The mill has a production capacity of 100 tonnes a day with 2,200 permanent and 1,800 badli workers.
Mr. K. Varahala Raju, the president of INTUC-affiliated CJM Workers’ Union (recognised union), said here on Wednesday that the work would resume anytime following the agreement signed on Tuesday in Hyderabad.
He said the DA would be revised twice a year as per the consumer price index. DA arrears due to the workers from 1992, on an average Rs.76,920, will be paid to the workers who were on payrolls from that time. In the event of death of any worker, along with the workers’ contribution, the management will also pay a matching contribution.
Mr. Raju said those who retired during the lockout period would get an opportunity to work in the mill. For medically invalid workers, employment would be offered to one of the family members on compassionate grounds. He said the management had also agreed to introduce voluntary retirement scheme for the benefit of some of the workers. He said bonus would be paid in one instalment and the company would introduce productivity-linked wages after six months.