Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Sept 2: The Jammu and Kashmir Cements Limited is mulling to recall the employees who were deputed to other Government departments to reduce the wage bill of the Corporation even if it has ignored the pending salaries of its employees.
The decision is part of the Government’s revival plan of the Corporation which was once a premier public sector enterprise. The experts, however, claimed the Corporation cannot be revived unless technical and financial audits are conducted. They maintained that the move was not workable owing to the huge liabilities against the Corporation.
“How can they allow more workforces when the wages of their employees are pending for 14 months? Worse, workers are without CP Fund and their insurance policies also lapsed. They should make sure their pending salaries are paid in one go,” a former Managing Director who has served the company during its glory, told Excelsior.
The plan to shrink the manpower was drawn to decrease the wage bill and save the Corporation from mounting liabilities. The aim was to obtain a manpower strength of 250 employees and send the excess staff to other Government departments. So far, around 171 employees have been moved to other departments having the present staff strength of the Corporation at 550.
The authorities plan to recall the deputed staff has made them worried as they fear they might meet the same fate as the employees at the Corporation are experiencing. For the last sixteen months, the employees of the Corporation have been paid a salary of one month alone, which has led to severe economic problems in their families.
The employees castigated authorities for lack of lucidity on the revival plan and surmised that extensive financial support is required to resurrect the corporation. “Workers are the soul of any company and without them, the Government cannot be successful to meet their goals. They should make sure their pending salaries are paid in one go. Without salaries/ CP Fund and other benefits moral of workers is low,” an employee said.
To worsen things for the employees, the Corporation has not deposited their Provident Fund for last five years despite deducting it from their salaries. “If they do not have money for the CP Fund how can they afford more employees. They are bringing them here to make their lives as hell as ours,” an employee said.
The employees lamented that employees are unable to pay off their debts as their savings have wearied. “Some of them even sold the jewellery of their wives to run the families. Others have got into debt. By calling us back, are they planning to ruin more families,” another employee said. He added the education of their children is worst affected as they are unable to pay their school fee. “Their children have been shoved aside from tuition centers several times,” he said, adding some of employees have incurable diseases and are unfit to meet the expenses of medicines.
The employees demanded that the Government should first investigate the downfall of the Corporation as it had accumulated huge losses over the last 5-6 years as the Corporation was a profit making till the financial year 2012-13.
Managing Director Jammu and Kashmir Cement Limited, N K Khajuria, told Excelsior that they have prepared a revival plan for the Corporation and are committed to implement it. “We are here to work and will ensure revival of the Corporation,” he said.
He said that the decision to recall the employees was taken as some of the positions in various wings in the company have fallen vacant. “It is impossible to revive factory without the staff,” he said.
Asked about the pending salaries, he said: “We have taken the issue of salary with the government. The liability will be cleared in a phased manner which includes CP fund of employees, retiree terminal benefit,” he said.
He added that outstanding power bills would be negotiated under amnesty scheme.
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