MANISH GUPTA
Ranchi, Nov 16: Around 1,700 contract workers of city-based PSU Heavy Engineering Corporation Ltd (HEC), who are managing their families without salary for nine months, are likely to get Rs 7,000 as a bonus on Thursday, Nov 17, giving them a reason to smile.
“There’s no news about when we will get the salaries – nine months pending for the workers and 13 months for the officers. However, we are getting a bonus of Rs 7,000 tomorrow,” Hatia Mazdoor Union President Bhawan Singh told lagatar24.com.
As per the central government’s order, workers whose salary is up to Rs 21,000 per month will get the bonus, said Singh. However, workers on the permanent payroll of the company under the Ministry of Heavy Industries get a salary of about Rs 35,000 and hence are not eligible, the union leader said.
“The bonus money has been given to the contractors today and we are likely to receive it tomorrow,” Singh said on Wednesday. The workers have been on a strike since the start of November protesting against the non-payment of salaries and uncertainty.
Singh said that the HEC management and the Chairman are completely indifferent to the problems being faced by the workers and officers. To intensify their agitation, the Hatia Mazdoor Union President has called a meeting of other trade union leaders.
“I have called a meeting of all trade unions on November 20 to join hands and increase the strength of our campaign for revival and modernisation of the company,” he said.
The workers are planning to gather and jam the roundabout near the secretariat (Project Building) on 28 November after blocking the entrance of the HEC plant.
