Save HMT Forum, a combine of officers and workers at the public sector Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) unit at Kalamassery, has demanded that the Union government must take immediate steps to revive the unit. The forum comprises workers and officers owing allegiance to different political parties.
It also demanded that fresh recruitments must be made to fill vacancies of personnel with engineering, diploma and IT qualifications.
They expressed concern over the encroachment upon HMT land. They asked State and Union governments to take immediate steps to prevent the encroachment of the land. They also asked the government to stop selling the land belonging to the public sector unit.
Another demand raised by them is that HMT should be allowed to participate independently in tenders floated by public sector undertakings.
They said in a statement that their struggle during the 2010-14 period had won them some gains. However, the policies being implemented by the Union government would plunge HMT into further trouble, the statement said.
The unit had more than 3,500 employees working in three shifts. The number of permanent employees has come down to 220 now.
The reduction in manpower has seriously affected the business of the unit. The compulsory VRS implemented during the 1994-2007 period had hit the functioning of the unit, the statement said.