RAYAGADA: JK Paper on Friday announced lockout at its manufacturing plant here after the workers, who are on an agitation, refused to call off their strike following a tripartite meeting to discuss their issues.
At the meeting held on Thursday, representatives of labourer unions had sought immediate hike in wages to Rs 18,000 per month. But, the JKPM management said it cannot take any decision on the ongoing issues.
CITU vice-president Bishnu Mohanty said they will hold meetings with allied groups and supporters. The union leaders had declined the request of the administration to call off the strike.
Meanwhile, JK Paper Mills Workers’ union, led by Chitaranjan Mohanty, submitted a memorandum to the Collector stating that after the lockout was declared by JKPM, their work has come to a halt. The union has sought the intervention of the district administration in breaking the deadlock, which has been continuing for eight days.
Harendranath Chandan, president of both the labour unions, said they were staging agitation in a peaceful manner and the lockout declared by JKPM management is illegal and an attempt to create industrial unrest.
Sub-Collector Prabir Kumar Naik said, “Efforts are on to resolve the issue as soon as possible by calling both the parties to the negotiating table to avert any kind of untoward situation. Additional forces have been deployed to maintain law and order in the industrial area of JKPM.”