May Day turned out to be a sad experience for the employees of Hindustan Photo Films (HPF) Company, a sick public sector undertaking, as salary was not provided for the month of April for the first time in the history of the company.
Keeping their fingers crossed, the employees said in a sober tone: “The management has sought time till May 15 to disburse salary. Even the May 15 deadline is uncertain. The management has managed to give wages till the end of 2012-13 financial year as the Central government had sanctioned `30 crore as part of `302 revival package a year ago. This fiscal, there is no budgetary support for the wages. Even knowing this well, the management has not taken any serious steps to get funds from the Centre for wages for 2013-14 fiscal.”
Sources revealed that the management could not generate revenue for paying wages as there has been no production for the past several months.
It is attributed to the company Chief Vigilance Officer’s (CVO) objections and queries to some issues regarding the manufacturing activities.
The Management Board, which is supposed to rectify the problems raised by CVO and resume production, had remained silent. Even the trade unions, which were also supposed to press for continuous production, had kept mum as they thought that salary would be automatically given.
However, at present the company has got orders from an Ordinance Factory for the supply of industrial and medical X-Rays.
It hopes to get an advance money from the factory by May 15 so that wages could be paid to the workers.
The proposal to revive the HPF was withdrawn by the Union Heavy Industries Ministry from CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) on August 23, 2012. This caused serious fears in workers about their livelihood and future.
Neither the trade unions nor top officials are aware of the correct reasons, except the absence of digital technology, for the withdrawal of the revival proposal.
The employees claimed that there was no need for introducing digital technology for the revival of HPF because it was producing only Industrial and Medical X-Rays, which have huge demand in the country.
J B Subramaniam, Convener of Joint Action Committee of All Parties to Save HPF, who led a series of agitations recently, charged that the Centre was neglecting the HPF completely, while it was helping the revival of other central public sector units such as NEPA and Scooters India Ltd in other states
At present, the company has a total workforce of 690. During its heyday, the company had more than 5000 employees.
The problem started in 1992 with the HPF incurring losses owing to mismanagement and diversion of a mega fund of `46 crore for its new project of Polyester X-ray. Soon it was declared a sick unit under section of 3 (1) (o) of Sick Act 1985. It faced closure threats several times.
Leaders like Jayalalithaa wrote to the union government and prevented the closure of HPF.
When contacted a top official of the company, who did not want to be named, said: “Salary is delayed for the first time because there is no budgetary support for wages this fiscal. I have put pressure on the Heavy Industries Ministry and informed about the bad financial position. I hope that something good will happen soon. I can not reveal anything beyond this. The media may highlight the past history and the present possibility of revival of the company to reach the ears of the powers-that-be”.