HM plant unlikely to reopen soon: WB Labour minister

The Hindustan Motors plant at Uttarpara employs nearly 2300 employees

It is unlikely that the Hindustan Motors (HM) plant at Uttarpara that manufactures the iconic Ambassador car will reopen soon, West Bengal Labour Minister Purnendu Bose said today.

"After discussing with the HM management, I have a feeling that the Uttarpara plant will not reopen soon," Bose told reporters here after emerging from a bipartite meeting with the HM management.

The company had declared suspension of work at the plant, the oldest in the country and the only vehicle manufacturing one in the state, on May 24.

"I have asked them (HM management) to lift the suspension at the earliest," Bose said, adding he had asked the management why the government was kept in the dark while declaring suspension of work at the plant.

The minister said that the government wanted to know HM management's intention with regard to the Uttarpara plant which employs nearly 2300 employees, including managerial staff.

Bose said the HM management had, however, agreed to pay advance wage to workers, who were facing six months of backlog in payments.

The advance wage would be paid to the workers on Monday by cheque and the management would again meet the government the following day, he added.

In the bipartite meeting today the HM management was represented at the meeting by its acting CEO Moloy Chowdhury and one senior executive. The government side was represented by the labour secretary, labour commissioner and assistant labour commissioner, besides the minister.