All permanent workers of Britannia's Kolkata unit take voluntary retirement

FMCG major Britannia Industries Ltd said all permanent workers at its Taratala factory in Kolkata have accepted the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS).

Despite this significant workforce change, a company official claimed that there would be no material impact on the business operations of Britannia Industries.

However, according to senior CITU leader Gautam Ray, production has been stopped at the plant.

"There has been no production at the Taratala plant for over 20 days. All 122 permanent employees have accepted VRS, and negotiations are ongoing for 250 contractual workers," said senior CITU leader Gautam Ray.

Britannia did not respond to PTI's queries on stopping the production.

The Taratala plant, one of Britannia's oldest biscuit manufacturing units, has been operational for over seven decades.

According to sources, the Britannia management offered Rs 13 lakh to employees with up to 5 years and 11 months of remaining job tenure, Rs 18.5 lakh for employees with 6 to 10 years of remaining tenure, and Rs 22.25 lakh for those with more than 10 years remaining.

The development has also triggered speculation about a possible shutdown of the unit.