The Pondicherry Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (Ponlait) workers have threatened to strike work if the ongoing efforts to employ more workers, allegedly through backdoor means in the organisation, materialises.
C H Balamohanan, president of the Confederation of Puducherry Government Employees’ Associations, told Express that Ponlait workers would resort to a strike if new people were to be employed. He alleged that the Ponlait is now overstaffed with more than 800 workers and running under an estimated loss of `20 crore. He pointed out that the premier co-operative milk union was making proft till 2006.
Balamohanan alleged that CM N Rangasamy was behind the move and asked him to refrain from it as it would cease the smooth functioning of Ponlait.
He also alleged that efforts were being made to appoint more persons in Ponlait.
The confederation had also sent fax messages to the Union Home Minister, Chief Secretary, Labour Secreatary and Labour Commissioner in this regard.
In the fax message dated April 2, the confederation had pointed out that the Madras High Court had ruled against backdoor appointments and the State government had issued a GO prohibiting such appointments in government departments, undertakings and co-operatives.
“Why are the law enforcers, government executives and co-operative officials remaining mute spectators. We urge you to wake up and stop appointments and save Ponlait,” the fax message said.
The message had also been sent to the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
As per information obtained under the RTI Act, Ponlait had employed 89 people as casual labourers from 1-1-2011 to 30-10-2012.
It may be recalled that these people were employed when more than 4,000 employees were retrenched from various government undertakings citing financial crunch.
Ponlait is the first cooperative society registered in the year 1955 in the Union Territory.