PARADIP: Retrenched workers of Cargill, India on Monday staged a lie-in protest in front of Paradip police station over their demand for lifting prohibitory orders near the company gates. As many 152 workers under the banner of Cargill Shramik Sangh lied down in front of the police station seeking permission to stage demonstration near the company gates over employment opportunities.
The workers had been staging peaceful demonstration in front of Cargill, India plant from March 12 demanding jobs. On April 5, the district administration clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 near the plant to prevent the agitating workers from staging protest and restore peace in the area. Earlier, the workers had met Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Paradip Kanhu Charan Dhir and urged him to lift the ban orders and allow them to stage dharna in a peaceful manner near the company. However, the ADM expressed his helplessness and advised the workers to seek permission from the local police for lifting the prohibitory orders.
Later on the day, the workers called off their lie-in protest after Paradip police gave assurance to consider their demand. Cargill India had set up a cooking oil refinery in Paradip in 2004. The company, a subsidiary of US trading giant Cargill, imported crude palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia and refined it in its Paradip plant. However, the company shut down its refinery in 2016 due to losses.
Nearly 152 workers, who were engaged in the refinery for packing, lost their jobs. Meanwhile, the company sold its refinery plant to Adani Wilmar Ltd recently, but no steps were taken to provide jobs to the workers.After being removed for their jobs, the workers have lost their livelihood and are living in miserable condition.