Hundreds of workers of Orient Craft started agitation at its Noida’s factory. They have been demanding to clear the salary due to them.
Workers are insisting to immediately clear their amount as they are already facing shortage of money in this difficult phase.
They have shared that they will continue the agitation till they get back their dues.
This particular unit (D-3, Sector 59, Noida) had around 2,000 workers and at least Rs. 5 crore is pending with the company.
“We were laid-off without any pre-notice or information and even after 2 months, we are waiting for our wages. This is totally unfair and now we will not move back without receiving our full and final,” the workers said.
Just a few days back, there was the stir of workers also at the Chopanki (Bhiwadi) unit of the company. The stir ended only after the police and labour department interfered and factory administration assured to pay the dues by 15 February.
It is pertinent to mention here that once a leading apparel export house with around 26 factories across India, Orient Craft has closed many of its factories in last one year.
Not only workers, but hundreds of its mid-level professionals also have an outstanding huge amount on the company and many of them don’t even have any hopes of getting their dues back.
One of the senior production professionals, who used to work in Orient Craft two years back, told Apparel Resources on the condition of anonymity, “The company used to deduct our bonus from our salary and the same I have not received since last two years. Overall, my Rs. 5 lakh is with the company. I had a word with the top-level management in this regard, but it’s been of no use and so now I am not hopeful of getting back my dues. Almost similar is the story of many other colleagues.”
A similar experience was also shared by a few other old employees of the company.
Highly placed sources of the company said that the company has to pay at least Rs. 40 crore to the workers, staff and Government. “Various vendors of raw material have to recover somewhere around Rs. 140 crore from the company,” said another top-level professional of the company.
