Trade unions representing workers from 22 National Textile Corporation (NTC) mills across India are once again insisting the Government reopen the mills, which have shut down since 2020 on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. Union leaders say the prolonged closure has left more than 20,000 workers and their families in severe financial instabilities.
A working-class organisation called National Coordination Action Committee for Mills, led by Sachin Ahir, emphasised the immediacy for re-opening to safeguard work opportunities for these workers. He said that if this is required, then the Government should choose between privatisation or public-private partnership to revive the mills.
Out of the 22 mills, five are located in Maharashtra, encompassing well-known units in Mumbai and Achalpur, collectively employing nearly 3,000 workers. Ahir also stated that although the Government had promised to pay 50 per cent of the wages during the shutdown, those payments have been pending for the past eight months, along with over Rs. 2 crore in bonus dues outstanding for four years.
The unions allege that deteriorating conditions, especially during the monsoon, are damaging valuable machinery—an indication that management may be aiming to shut down the mills permanently.
He also highlighted that the mills, with assets valued at over Rs. 5,000 crore, could be effectively utilised for public sector purposes, including manufacturing fabric for hospitals and various Government institutions for ensuring their sustainability.
Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh and other unions are also engaged in looking for legal options to safeguard rights of workers and advocate for the mills reopening.
