KOZHIKODE/KOCHI: Nesto Group, a UAE-based retail chain, plans to open a chain of 10 hypermarkets in Kerala, within days after it settled a prolonged stir at its first hypermarket store in the state at Kalpetta in Wayanad.The strike by the trade unions of CPM, Congress, IUML and CPI over the loading/unloading issue outside the Nesto hypermarket at Kalpetta was settled after 31 days, on July 16.
The announcement by Nesto Group, founded by Keralite K P Basheer in 2004, was made at the ‘Meet the Investor’ programme of Industries Minister P Rajeeve. Nesto Group would establish 10 stores over a period of two years, providing jobs to 3,500 people, a statement by the industries minister’s office said. “A nodal officer has been given the task to coordinate and speed up Nesto’s investment plans in the state,” said Rajeeve.
This year, Nesto Group, which has 98 outlets mostly operating across GCC countries, would open four hypermarket stores -- at Edappal, Kannur, Kuttiyady and Kozhikode. “A total of 850 people will be hired,” said the statement. Next year, the group will launch its hypermarkets in Thrissur, Tirur, Kottakkal, Perinthalmanna, Sultan Bathery and Iritty. This will see the creation of job opportunities for another 2,650 people.
The stir at Nesto’s Kalpetta store was triggered after the registered head-load workers demanded loading/unloading work. The management argued that it has its own four labourers who possess labour cards issued by the state labour department. The Nesto workers had obtained the labour cards after approaching the High Court.
The settlement was reached in a meeting called by Kalpetta municipal chairman Mujeeb Keyamthody on July 16. As per the settlement, the goods coming to the store in Nesto vehicles would be unloaded by the management’s workers and those in all other vehicles by the registered head-load workers of the trade unions. The same condition will be applicable in unloading the items at the 11 outlets soon to be opened.