CG FOOD SACKS 35 LABOURERS

Few dismissed labourers allowed a week’s time for obtaining the labour registration certificate as a special case by CG Food Products Pvt Ltd following All Sikkim Democratic Labour Front’s plea

RANGPO, June 03: The CG Food Products Pvt Limited, Rangpo on June 1, dismissed 35 labours from service.

According to a notice from the factory management, it has instructions from the State Labour Department to recruit only those labours with ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) from the Department and those already recruited must obtain the same at the earliest.

The dismissed labourers were reportedly asked to hand over the NOC latest by May 31, the notice of which was put on view in April this year. The notice adds that they can collect their outstanding payments within June 7 during office hours.

However, the dismissed labourers pointed several setbacks as regards acquiring NOC from the Labour Department. The labourers moaned a lengthy procedure wherein they need to take NOC from the concerned police station, Panchayat, BDO etc before claiming NOC from the Labour Department. Few labourers also rued financial inadequacies against obtaining the same.

As the recent dismissal left 35 labourers and their families at uncertainty of livelihood, the General Manager of CG Food Products Pvt Limited, Binod Dophia clarified that the dismissed labourers does not belong to the factory. The CG Foods had authorised to recruit labourers in the factory to a local individual Hari Chettri, who supervised the labourers.

Speaking to our correspondent over the phone, Hari Chettri said he had informed the labourers about the Labour Department notice in due time and were also agreed special leave for obtaining the NOC. Expelling 35 labours, the factory presently maintains 275 labourers.

It was learn that under the State Government’s initiative, from June 2007 the labourers who have completed 1 year in the factory will be offered an increment of Rs 7 per day, thereby making daily wages to Rs 92 from Rs 85. This declaration, lately made by the Chief Minister is likely to multiply every year.

Following a recent meeting between Hari Chettri, Joint Secretary (Org), All Sikkim Democratic Labour Front with the management of CG Food Products, it was revealed that 8 labourers among the listed 35 had already left their service and were mistakenly included in the list.

Nevertheless, during the meeting it was decided that some labourers will be given a week’s time for obtaining the labour registration certificate as a special case against furnishing genuine reasons for the same.