SHIVAMOGGA: Mysore Paper Mills (MPM) of Bhadravati is inching towards becoming a worker-less factory very soon.
Even as the the issue of sending thousands of labourers on compulsory leave yet to be settled, the MPM management has again decided to send another thousand workers on compulsory leave.
Earlier, the management had sent 1,134 workers, including 579 permanent employees, 500 contract labourers and 55 officials on compulsory leave, which came in for much criticism and protests.
Now the management has decided to send 500 permanent workers and 500 contract workers on compulsory leave. MPM has 1,200 permanent workers, 300 officials, 1,100 contract labourers and 450 contract workers. Because of this decision, except labourers in the water supply and fire section, all others have to leave the factory.
The management has been considering the earned leaves of the employees and the workers who were sent out in the first phase. Those who do not have earned leave were being given some amount every month as advance. Now, a thousand more workers would join this list.
Labour organisations say because of MPM management and the government’s negligence, the workers have been facing problems. The management should give full salary to all the workers and employees who were sent on compulsory leave, they demanded.
Meanwhile, the case related to pollution control in MPM will be heard by the Chennai Green Tribunal on March 28. If MPM gets permission to run the sugar factory, some workers will get jobs.
The labourers believe MPM would get a favourable verdict, considering the workers’ life.
The case filed in the court by the labour organisations against sending the workers on compulsory leave will also come up for hearing on March 30, sources said.
MPM Labour Organisation president Shivamurthy said that MPM managing director Harsha Gupta does not have any intention to protect the factory. His main intention is to privatise the factory, so he is not taking any steps to protect it, he added.