SILIGURI UNIT MANAGEMENT CITES FALLING ORDERS Work stops at cylinder factory

BINITA PAUL, TT, 10 Aug 2019, Siliguri: A Calcutta-based company that runs a LPG cylinder-making factory in Siliguri announced suspension of work on Friday, citing dwindling demand.

The decision has left around 350-odd workers of Haldia Precision Engineering Private Ltd, located at the industrial growth centre near Bidyutnagar on the southern end of Siliguri, jobless. Many of them demonstrated in front of the factory on Friday and later submitted a memorandum at the New Jalpaiguri police station, demanding the unit be reopened.

According to sources, Haldia Precision Engineering makes LPG cylinders for petroleum companies like Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.

On Friday, as the workers came to join their duties, they found the main entrance closed, with the notice announcing suspension of work plastered on the gate.

In the notice, the management has said that for the past few months, orders from the petroleum PSUs have "drastically fallen", leaving it with no option but to "reduce production accordingly".

"Usually, around 2,200 cylinders were produced in a day but due to the reduction in orders, the production has been brought down to 510 to 540 cylinders a day for the past two months. Even then, a substantial quantity of ready cylinders is lying at the factory," said a source.

In the notice, the management has also mentioned that "we have no further orders to manufacture cylinders.... In the said premises, the company is unable to continue production any further. The company, therefore, has decided to go in for suspension of work in its factory No representative from the Haldia Precision management was at the factory. Telephone calls to the Calcutta office of the company went unanswered.

Ehsanul Haque Munshi, the convener of, INTTUC ­ Trinamul's workers' front ­ in Fulbari, said that factory had opened in 1997.

"The company has a bad record of not renewing of agreement papers of workers.

The last agreement of the workers has expired in March this year but no renewal has been done so far. We have already brought it to the notice of the administration and state ministers Moloy Ghatak and Gautam Deb, who is also the local MLA," said Munshi.

The company's representatives have not consulted with the workers' union on its decision of suspending work at the factory, alleged the workers. "Till Thursday, we had no inkling that the management would take such a decision. Suddenly, we have turned jobless. I have been working here for past five years and the sole earner in the family. I don't know what to do now," said a woman worker.

Rafiqul Islam, another Trinamul leader, said, they will approach to all government offices to expedite reopening of the unit.