Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), a trade union affiliated with the RSS, has urged the Government to start production in the closed NTC mills and provide work to the workers being paid 50 per cent of their salaries since March 2020.
BMS has requested the Government to divide the existing mills into ‘viable and non-viable’ categories in a memorandum to Union Textile Minister Piyush Goyal. The memorandum also urged the Government to start production in the modernised mills immediately.
“The BMS strongly feels that the perception of the Government has to change to restart and revive the NTC mills,” the memorandum said.
Production in the mills has been suspended since 25th March 2020 as a part of the Government’s Covid-19 norms. Even as other economic and production activities have restarted, these mills remain closed and the workers continue to receive 50 per cent of their wages.
“Even the 50 per cent salary to workers is not being paid for the last three months. Now, the Government is trying to privatise all NTC mills thinking this textile PSU is a ‘white Elephant’ and the BMS strongly feels that the Government of India’s perception with regard to NTC Limited has to change,” said Ravindra Himte, BMS Secretary.
The BMS has also demanded that the workers be paid their pending salaries, gratuity on revised salaries as well as the remaining 50 per cent salaries with EPF arrears.
