Several parties, including YSRCP, CPI, Jana Sena Party and several unions, have called on the government to take steps to reopen the Nellimarla jute factory immediately.
Management announced a lockdown a week ago due to the decline in production and demand for jute products in the national market. The lockdown shocked nearly 2,000 workers from Nellimarla and other parts of the district.
The YSR congressional party MLC Penumatsa Suresh Babu urged district collector M. Hari Jawaharlal to take the initiative to hold a meeting between management and workers, as the lockdown would deprive many poor families of livelihoods.
The CPI District Joint Secretary and AITUC District Secretary Bugata Ashok alleged that management had failed to comply with labor laws when the lockdown was announced. “Management continues employees around the age of 60 instead of deducting their retirement pension. It failed to pay tips, retirement funds and other benefits. It is unwise to hold the seniors responsible for the decline in production. Management can hire new employees while doing justice to existing employees, ”said Ashok.
The senior leader of the Jana Sena party, Ravikumar Midatana, claimed that the government had not taken any concrete steps to revitalize the jute industry in the districts, despite several attempts. “With the closure of jute and other industries, more than 25,000 workers lost their livelihoods. The government should make the duties of the workers clear to the management. Jute mills in Nellimarla and other places should be reopened immediately to protect workers’ interests, ”he added.