THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A section of employees working in Terumo Penpol Private Ltd, Thiruvananthapuram, country’s largest blood bag manufacturers, have come out with serious allegations against the company that they are being forced to work when several among them had turned Covid positive. However, the company authorities have strongly denied this.
TPPL has 1,326 employees with its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, and was established in 1987 by a former bureaucrat, C Balagopal, from the Manipur cadre. Eightly five countries are currently using the products of TPPL where the main export is to Latin America. A senior employee of TPPL told TNIE that ever since the pandemic outbreak last year, the company was closed down for 53 days, not continuously, but whenever it was required. One of the employees at their Puliyarakonam factory said that their body temperatures are being checked on their arrival only.
“The blood bags are being made under sterile conditions by staff wearing PPE kits. But we don’t know whether our colleagues are Covid positive or not. The authorities should ensure the staff undergo antigen test. If we take leave for three days continuously, we will have to give explanation,” said an employee who requested anonymity. Another employee alleged that social distancing is not observed even in the canteen where employees sit together to have food.
“The health department had asked the company to close down during triple lockdown, but to no avail. We were promised Covid vaccine by the authorities which is yet to happen,” said another employee.
However, R Govind, Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility executive of TPPL, rubbished the allegations as baseless. He said every employee, senior or junior level, who avails leave of absence for more than three days have to show reasons behind it and also the security personnel ensures that social gathering is maintained.
“We are working along with the health department. Despite the Covid -19 and lockdown scenario, there is a salary hike, including the contract and permanent employees. We’ve been providing paid leave to those employees who turn Covid positive and provide them quarantine facilities if they are from other districts,” said Govind.He said all employees will be provided free vaccine from next week.