Over 380 workers served lockout notice at Verna Industrial Estate
HERALD REPORTER
VASCO, DEC 27
A dispute between the management and workers over increment in salaries took an abrupt turn when the company pasted a lockout notice on Monday, stunning 380-odd workers of five different units attached to the company at Verna industrial estate.
The 380-odd workers, operators, assistants and supervisors, of Orchid Biomedical Systems, Coral Clynical Systems, Qualpro Diagnostics, Tulip Diagnostics and Zephry Biomedicals have been demanding increment of Rs 4200 from the company, were shocked on Monday morning, when they turned back from units after a lockout notice was pasted at the entrance of the five units.
In a notice published in a local daily, the management had stated that in accordance with provision of Section 23 of the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947, the company had issued a notice to workers, operators, assistants and supervisors of the lockout from December 27 and stated 17 reasons for the lockout notice.
The notice stated that negotiations between the management and union had earlier failed and workers had gone on a tool down strike on December 21, 2010 and had prevented contract workers from entering the units.
‘The workers are not allowing contract workers to enter the factory premises and they are also not doing any work in the factory. They further threaten officers, managers, executive and others willing to work in the factory. Under such circumstances for the overall interest of the company, it is beyond the control of the management to continue any such situation within the factory and there decided to declare a lockout from December 27,’ the notice stated.
Said a worker, Suhash Malik: “We have been demanding an increment of Rs 4200 as most of workers have been working for last 16 years with marginal salaries and the management is not willing to resolve the issue.”
He said the management was willing to give one-third of the total demanded increment annually so that it would cover the entire amount of Rs 4200 within three years.
“However, this was not acceptable to workers as they wanted a one-time settlement of the entire amount within a single year,” said Malik.
Another worker, Rumaldo Coutinho, justified their demands saying: “With zooming inflation we cannot afford to work with the salaries provided by the management.”
“There are companies in Verna Industrial Estate where workers, who had joined eight years ago are drawing a salary of over Rs 12,000 salary, whereas we have been working since the last 16 year with a salary of Rs 9000,” complained Pramod Naik.
He alleged that while the company had pasted a lockout notice under the provision of Industrial Dispute Act, the company had hired contract workers and work was going in full swing in all five units.
