Tebma Shipyard Malpe workers Seek Payment of Pending Salary
Udupi: Employees of the Tebma Shipyard Company Malpe are on an indefinite protest from the last two weeks condemning the company’s management for not paying their salary since six months.
Speaking to Media persons Jnanesh an employee of the company said that it is unfortunate that the Salary of the employees has not been paid for the last six months because of which they had to borrow money from various sources to meet their expenses during the Deepavali. The management says that the company is under loss and it is not possible for them to pay their salary. At the same time, senior level officers like the Managers and other officers were getting their salary promptly. They are getting nearly Rs one lakh salary every month and company is giving reasons of loss.
The management had planned to cut some allowances and other facilities provided to its employees, and impose a ceiling on the employers’ contribution towards provident fund and medical reimbursement facility. In our association there are nearly 800 registered workers who are suffering since the last six months.
We have met deputy commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis and she has taken the initiative to solve the problemin. She has already held two meetings with the management, workers and the labour department. During the meeting the DC had ordered the company president to sort-out the issue within a week but the company management neglected the deputy commissioner’s order. He demanded to solve the problem as soon as possible.
Fishermen leader Yashpal Suvarna said that the company is functioning in government land under lease. When the company was started in Malpe Fishing Harbour we all opposed it but it was started with some political pressure. Earlier it was given for 25 year lease after the locals protested it was decreased for 15 years. In the lease agreement only ship building can be done in this area and there is no option for ship breaking or ship repairing work. Earlier the management had appointed workers from outside the state. When we all protested they appointed locals for low salary and we did not oppose it. Now since six months local workers have not received their salary. The deputy commissioner has called a meeting on January 2 in this regard. We will put a proposal in the meeting that if the company is under loss then the district administration should take back the property before completing the lease period, he added.