A 30-member delegation, consisting of representatives of various trade unions of the now defunct Anglo-French Textile Mills, would stage a dharna before parliament on December 9,10 and 11.
Convenor of the All Trade Unions Action Committee of AFT mills, V S Abishegam, said on Sunday that the delegation’s protest was to press the Centre to release a fund of `500 Cr for the revival of the century-old mill and to urge the Centre to permit the State to sell the land owned by the mill at Pattanur.
Representatives of trade unions including AITUC, CITU, INTUC, LPF, PMK, UTUC, AFT Welfare Union convened a meeting on Saturday and took the decision to stage the agitation.
Abishegam, who is also the Puducherry unit secretary of the AITUC, said on December 13, the delegation along with parliament members of the UT would meet PM Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Textile Minister, Kavuri Sambasiva Rao.
The AITUC leader said the trade union leaders met Union Minister of State for PMO in Puducherry on Sunday. The minister promised to take up the issue with the ministries concerned.
Abishegam said trade unions welcomed the steps being taken by CM N Rangasamy for revival of the mill. He held discussions with L-G Virendra Kataria and even approached banks for loan to revive the defunct mill. He had promised the mill management that he would convene an all-party meeting in December and would leading an all-party delegation to New Delhi shortly. It may be recalled that a 45-day lay-off had been declared from November 5. The staff were not paid salary for over a year. The mill suffered damages during Cyclone Thane.