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Tuesday
Jul 24 2001
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0010 hrs IST
1340 EST
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Balco mgmt extends transfer deadline by a week
NEW DELHI
AMIDST sharp criticism by labour unions, Balco management today extended by a week the deadline set for top level officials to report at Korba.
The move follows the management’s earlier decision to shift its corporate headquarters from Delhi to Korba in Chattisgarh subsequent to its privatisation.
In a communication to the affected employees, the management has unconditionally extended till July 31, the time limit for reporting at Korba, company sources said.
When contacted Balco employees union general secretary P N Sharma said “this does not send a good message to the workers as far as industrial relations are concerned.”
He said that 35 of the affected employees had expressed their inability to report to Korba for various reasons and the management had promised to consider their cases on compassionate grounds.
“The extension means that the management is not serious about the issue”, he said adding that workers might have to face the same sort of situation next year after the labour protection clauses cease to be effective.
He said the decision particularly affected the female employees who are in no position to join work at Korba.
Sharma added that as a result of the decision most of the employees who are residing in Delhi in leased accomodation would have to fork out a heafty amount for premature termination of leases.
“The company should first settle this amount before asking its employees to move”, he said. Sharma once again accused the management of resorting to back door tactics for retrenching employees.
“Employees have no option but to succumb to such blackmail and quit their jobs as they cannot leave their problems behind in Delhi,” he said.
He said the management should have consulted the unions before taking such drastic steps which could affect the peace in the company.
Sterlite Group had in june ordered 45 of its top and middle level management officials posted at Delhi to report at Korba giving them a deadline of July 2 to make the move.
Under pressure from the unions, the management had given a three-week extension for the move, which came to an end today, while promising to take a compassionate and case by case decision on the transfers. (PTI)
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