RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Feb.2: A meeting is expected on February 8 in New Delhi to save Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) presently gasping for survival without funds for workers salary payment, capital modernisation and money for day to day expenditure despite commanding respect as ‘mother of industries’.
Though HEC officials did not confirm the fact, Bhuwan Singh, who is President of Hatia Mazdoor Union, informed this to workers during a demonstration outside the HEC gate saying the union leaders will leave the city on January 6 to participate in the meeting.
“The purpose of the meeting in New Delhi is to save the HEC for which workers have been working without salary for the last several months. We are proceeding to participate in the meeting on January 6 and it is expected from you to wait for our instruction on the date of meeting. This time we are in a mood for a decisive fight. We will have a cut to cut to talk with the union heavy industry ministry to ensure whether the government is intentionally running the PSU or not. If the reply comes negative, we will chalk out further lines of action. Please remember, we are here to save the industry,” Singh said addressing workers.
The meeting was organized after a massive demonstration of the workers to protest against non-payment of salary for more than 15 months. Over 2000 workers participated in the demonstration threatening dire consequences of delayed payment.
Singh confirmed his speech after sharing a video footage. “Prior to a discussion on saving HEC, there is a tripartite meeting on the issue of salary payment on February 3,” he added.
“Our meeting is scheduled tomorrow. In the meeting all the three directors of HEC, labour commissioner and representatives of the labour union will sit. Hope some result will come today,” Singh said expressing his commitment to save labourers and industries both.
HEC is one of the leading suppliers of capital equipment in India for steel, mining, railways, power, defense, and space research, nuclear and strategic sectors. It also executes turn-key projects from concept-to-commissioning. Set-up in the year 1958, HEC has acquired expertise in its field through its more than half a century’s experience.
