Shivraj workers stage dharna, seek justice

Nagpur: Shivraj Litho Press Kamgar Union on Tuesday staged a dharna at Samvidhan Square to press the demand for implementation of service rules and regular pay which have been hanging fire since long.
Fifty-five workers of Shivraj Press, working for well over 20 years, are finding it difficult to make both ends meet as they get a meagre salary of Rs5,000 under Minimum Wages Act. The union had submitted a memorandum to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding that they be considered as industrial workers and paid accordingly, but no action has been taken as yet.

Jayant Lutey, president of the union, has warned the government that protests would be staged across the state if their demands are not conceded within 15 days.

General secretary of the union Shriram Machhle said, “A meeting was held with Maharashtra for finance on December 18, 2015 in which the demand to consider them as industrial workers was made a copy of which was forwarded to the chief minister. However, the government is sitting over the demand.”

The workers had also approached union transport minister and Nagpur MP Nitin Gadkari and MLA Sudhakar Kohale to resolve the issue expeditiously. A letter was also sent to the office of the chief minister, but to no avail. The union claimed that the chief minister was avoiding to meet them since the last more than one-and-a half years.

Shivraj Fine Art Litho Press, situated on Subhash Road, was taken over by the government of India in 1980 after owner Baburao Dhanwate announced lockout in 1978. The union industries department then handed it over to the Maharashtra government which nationalized the press in 1984. Vidarbha Development Board was running the press till 1994 after which the directorate of printing has been managing the affairs.

Owner of the press had challenged nationalization of the unit in 2014, but the petition was dismissed by a court. After that, the ownership went to the Maharashtra government.