Solan: Ambuja Cements employees resent retirement scheme

Ambika Sharma

Solan, April 28

Resentment is brewing among the employees of Darlaghat-based plant of Ambuja Cements Limited was once again as employees plying trucks in the company alleged they were forced to avail voluntary retirement.

Unfair practice

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It is unfair on the part of the plant management to put pressure on the employees to opt for either a job in the company or ply trucks. Sanjay Awasthi, Arki MLA

As many as 61 employees have already left the job by availing voluntary retirement scheme. These include nine employees whose service had been terminated in December by the management when the scheme was introduced last year. As many as 87 others have sold trucks fearing loss of job.

Arki MLA Sanjay Awasthi, who had opposed the scheme when it was introduced in November last year, said it was unfair on the part of the plant management to put pressure on the employees to opt for either a job in the company or ply trucks. He said the issue would be taken up with the cement management. “The employees, who have contributed so much to build the company, were well-versed in its working and there was no rationale in forcing them to quit,” he said.

The company management had circulated a consent form and the truckers were directed to furnish the details of trucks owned by them or their family members that are engaged in transportation work with it.

The consent form stated that being an employee of the company, his or his family’s involvement in transportation work amounted to a conflict of interest. As per the company’s policy, employees are either supposed to resign by April 30 or dispose of their trucks within a given period. The company also gave them an option of facilitating the disposal of their trucks if they cannot do so on their own.

Ramkrishan Sharma, former president of Baghal Land Loosers, said, “This is a regrettable step, especially for the land loosers who were given a job in the company while the plant was set up as per the relief and rehabilitation policy as people were rendered houseless and landless.”

61 employees resign

• As many as 61 employees have already left the job by availing voluntary retirement scheme
• These include nine employees whose service had been terminated in December
• As many as 87 others have sold trucks
• The company asked its employees to either resign by April 30 or dispose of their trucks