Manaksia's Haldia unit issues suspension of work notice

Packaging products maker Manaksia Ltd today issued suspension of work notice at its aluminium division unit at Haldia in West Bengal.

"We have been compelled to issue suspension of work notice in the aluminium unit at Haldia after attack on a company management official," a senior Manaksia group official told PTI.

According to the official, plant supervisor N K Singh was beaten so badly that he had to be hospitalised on November 1.

The total workforce at the plant is around 350, out of which regular employees are 216 in the unit. The company has another steel division and is functioning without any problem. The Manaksia official alleged that regular employees had started going slow in production for the last two days demanding immediate wage hike, and resorted to violence when the management asked them to wait till the plant resumed operation after maintenance closure. The company official alleged that though there was no formal trade union in the plant, the workers were supported by TMC-affiliated trade union INTTUC.

However, TMC's MP from Tamluk Suvendu Adhikari said he would not like to comment as INTTUC had no presence in the company.

The official said that everything was fine until the company agreed to the demands of contract workers on wage hike by about 50 per cent.

The company said they have informed and updated the district labour commissioner and police officials about the situation. Manaksia has 15 manufacturing plants in India, two in Nigeria and one in Ghana. The company has plants at five locations in West Bengal.