Police resorted to lathi charge to break up protests by workers of the Puducherry Agro Products, Food and Civil Supplies Corporation (PAPSCO) on Saturday. The protest was staged because over 750 workers were sacked for unauthorised absence from work since March 19.
The workers, engaged under voucher based payment, have been on a strike to protest against the delay in settlement of wages for nearly six months.
With the workers intensifying their agitation disrupting the routine functioning of the Corporation and its outlets, the management issued an order removing the voucher based workers.
Notice
A notice has been displayed on the notice board of main office of PAPSCO at Thattanchavady on Friday night.
A top official said that the workers went on a strike and absented from work without giving any notice to the management.
The Corporation had terminated the services of the workers to ensure that there was uninterrupted supply of essential commodities like petrol, diesel and LPG to consumers.
The official said that the Corporation had also received a notice from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) warning that the license issued to the Corporation for selling LPG would be cancelled if there was no proper initiative to prevent dislocation of supply of cylinders.
Chief Minister N. Rangasamy was seized of the matter and the management terminated the workers on the directions of the government, he said.
Conciliatory talks
Meanwhile, conciliatory talks held on Saturday between representatives of Joint Action Committee of various trade unions of PAPSCO and the management to resolve the dispute on dismissal of the workers and pending wages failed to arrive at a conclusion.
With the talks remaining inconclusive MLA and PAPSCO Chairman A. Tamil Selvane along with officials left the office in a huff. But they were prevented from going out by the workers.
To escort them to safety, police had to lathi charge the workers. Three persons including two women sustained injuries in the lathi charge.
P. Lakshmanasamy, president of Puducherry State Government Employees Central Federation said the government undertaking had incurred loss of over Rs.35 crore due to financial mismanagement and poor governance.
