Team Herald
PONDA: Amidst growing concerns over their employment future, employees of the Sanjivani Sugar Factory have requested an urgent meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to discuss their uncertain situation. With the factory closed for the last four years, the workers are anxious about their livelihoods, especially following the government's recent offer of a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS).
The workers have rejected the VRS offer, which only provides two months' salary for each year of service. They argue that this package is insufficient to support their families and secure their futures. The factory has around 91 permanent employees, many of whom have been working for 15 to 20 years. They worry that accepting the VRS will leave them with minimal financial security, especially as the compensation is based on basic salary and variable dearness allowance (VDA), excluding several other components.
Recently, the Sanjivani Kamgar Sangatana committee met with Chief Minister Sawant at Ravindra Bhavan, Sakhali, to present their concerns. They urged the Chief Minister to reconsider the VRS and instead explore options for integrating the workers into government jobs. The employees pointed out that they have already performed various government duties, including election-related work and assignments in hospitals and vaccination centres during the Covid-19 pandemic.
CM Sawant had earlier assured the workers that he would review the matter and explore the possibility of offering a better compensation package by treating their case as "special."
The employees have expressed frustration with the current VRS notice, which sets a deadline of September 30, 2024, for the implementation of the scheme. They claim that many of them are still young and not yet of retirement age, making the VRS both unfair and inadequate for their long-term needs.
The workers are requesting a 15-minute meeting with the Chief Minister to discuss their concerns, hoping for a more favourable outcome regarding their future employment and financial security.