Contractual workers report to work ignoring Paper Mill management’s suspension letter

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Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC) management on March 31, 2018 issued a Notice suspending the contract under which the contractual workers were employed. The management in the notice ordered contractual workers not to report to their respective work with effect from, April 1, 2018 onwards. But as per latest information about 392 contractual workers reported to work today and yesterday.

The management as promised by MD Shashikant Jain released three months’ salary of HPC employees who have not got their wages since last 19 months. Jain had announced that the management would release salaries in instalments starting from April 2018, first lot was released on March 31, 2018. A senior non-payroll (contractual) employee informed us that the contractual workers are yet to get any salary. A senior CITU leader informed us, “We have had a meeting with the senior management today and they assured us that the non-payroll employees will receive their three months due within April 10, 2018.”

Commenting on the notice the CITU leader said, “We have urged the management to withdraw the order with immediate effect. This is large scale retrenchment without any prior notice. If they do not revoke the issued order we will democratically protest against this decision and if needed will even take the legal route.” The leader went ahead to say everything seems normal because people are waiting for their wages, which the management has promised to release within April 10.

At one point of time about 5000 contractual workers used to work at the HPC branch, but over the years due to reduction in paper production and lately because of non-payment many already left the role in search of other jobs. At this point around 400 employees are still there. A senior HPC officer explaining the notice said, “The contractual workers are hired on the basis of a contract signed on 28/11/1996, at that point of time there was serious need of man power. Now the production is shut the mill is yet to revive so there is no point having additional man-power, so the management took this decision.”

Government is planning to revive both Panchgram and Jagi Road Paper Mills, reports indicate a Public Private Partnership is on the cards, where the operations will be privatised but the government continue to remain the owners of assets. Whatever happens for now it looks like tougher days wait for contractual employees of Cachar Paper Mill and the HPC crisis continues…