Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today rejected the opposition charge that the government was supporting Left trade union, CITU’s alleged attempt to disrupt the functioning of Synthite Industries.
The government was trying to settle the dispute between the management of the Kochi-based multi-crore company and the trade union amicably and had deployed a team of police personnel in front of the company for its smooth functioning, he told the state Assembly.
Replying to a notice by the Congress-led opposition UDF seeking an adjournment motion over the stalemate, the Chief Minister, however, said the management should show readiness to make some “corrections” in their approach.
Synthite Industries’ unit at Kadayirippu, a pioneer exporter of spice oils and oleoresins in the country, has remained closed for the last 10 days following a strike called by CITU in protest against the transfer of 18 employees to the company’s Coimbatore branch.
While the management claimed that it was usual working arrangement, the union alleged it was part of the “vendetta” of the company for starting a unit of CITU.
Justifying the launch of the trade union unit at the company, Vijayan said “trade union activism is not to destroy any company but to strengthen it.”
“The government is not adamant on this issue and we are keen to resolve it judiciously. But there should be some corrections in the approach of the management also,” he added.
The union people said the transfer of 18 employees was a revengeful step by the management for launching trade union activism in the company, the chief minister added.
Industries Minister A C Moideen said the company’s approach was not positive with regard to resolving the issue.
“The company claimed that they have the right to transfer staff. Nobody is against changes… but they cannot implement it unilaterally. The management should follow labour laws,” he said.
“The government has given police protection for the functioning of the company in the wake of a High Court order in this regard. But, the present closure of the company is part of the pressure tactics of the management,” the minister added.
He also said it was just a labour dispute and it would not cause any harm to the “investment-friendly” outlook of the state.
The minister rejected the opposition charge that the police had helped the CITU members instead of giving protection to the company for its smooth functioning.
Attacking the LDF government, which recently launched ‘Ease of doing business’ policy, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said it should be in practice and not just remain in words.
Giving details of companies either shut down or relocated to other states in recent years, he said the failure in resolving the issue would lead to relocation of this company also, which would send a ‘wrong message’ among investors.
Chennithala alleged the LDF government had ‘failed’ to bring any investment to the state in the last two years.
He also sought the chief minister’s immediate intervention to settle the deadlock at Synthite.
Seeking the notice for the motion, V P Sajeendran (Congress) said the state would become a ‘graveyard of industries’ if such issues were not settled positively.
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