The Kadayirippu unit of the spice processing company Synthite Industries has been closed “temporarily” following what the company management claimed on Tuesday was lack of protection by the police despite a High Court of Kerala order. The police had not been able to provide protection to the workers, who wanted to join their duties, said a statement issued by the management here on Tuesday.
The management blamed “CITU/DYFI goondas”, who had unleashed lawlessness on account of which workers were unable to join their duties on Tuesday. The police were ineffective, the management said, adding that around 800 families would be pushed into economic hardship on account of the closure of the unit.
The district administration had said on Monday that the State Labour Commissioner would hold talks in the State capital on June 7 with representatives of the company management and trade union leaders to end the stand-off. Conciliatory efforts on Monday initiated by the District Collector had ended in a stalemate.
The Synthite Employees’ Union, CITU, which is leading the protest at the unit, had claimed that the company management did not honour an agreement early in May and that it had resorted to punitive measures against trade union activists.