The All Trade Unions Action Committee of Anglo French Textiles (AFT) mill has urged the Puducherry government to appoint the Chief Secretary as the Chairman of the Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) to revive the mill. A decision was taken at a meeting of all trade unions on Monday.
V.S. Abishegam, president of AITUC, said the present Chairman of the AFT mills, who was a nominated MLA, was not able to pay full attention to the functioning of the mill owing to heavy workload. He should voluntarily step down and the Chief Secretary should be appointed chairman.
In another resolution, the unions urged the government to immediately disburse, pension, gratuity and other benefits to workers who had opted for the voluntary retirement service scheme, raising to Rs 15,000 the ceiling for eligibility to get bonus and payment of the outstanding wages to the workers of the AFT mill. Trade union leaders also wanted the Puducherry government to seek Rs. 500 crore from the Centre for rehabilitation of the AFT mills. The territorial administration should also expeditiously get the permission of the Centre to sell its land at Pattanur.
Members of all the trade unions will stage a dharna in front of the AFT mills on Tuesday in support of their demands.
