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Dr Reddy's shifts machinery?

C.R. Sukumar

HYDERABAD, June 20

THE management of Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd (DRL) has allegedly shifted some of the crucial machinery from its formulations unit-II during the midnight of Monday.

``The machinery was shifted to an unknown destination with the help of police forces amidst serious protests from the workmen who were on indefinite strike from Saturday onwards at the factory main gate'', the DRL Formulations Employees Union (DRLFEU) Pr esident, Mr. Satyanarayana, said.

Speaking to Business Line, he said the workmen were forced to watch the entire shifting process helplessly with the police authorities present at the location arguing that the workmen were not holding any stay orders from the court for restraining the ma nagement from shifting the machinery.

Despite repeated attempts, the DRL management declined to comment on the tense situation prevailing at the formulations unit-II and on the allegations levelled by the union on shifting of the machinery.

The DRLFEU on Tuesday submitted in the court of the Junior Civil Judge at Medchal, near here, that ``the management is shifting the machinery from the factory with malafide intention to close the factory and throw out the workers on the road. If the mana gement shifts the machinery, the workers will lose not only employment but also it will cause irreparable loss and injury.''

While the union has sought judgment ``to restrain the defendants (DRL management) from shifting the machinery and materials from the factory'', the court has posted the case for Wednesday for further hearing.

Meanwhile, the manufacturing activities at the DRL's formulations unit-II remained standstill with the indefinite strike of workmen reaching the fourth day. According to the union President, ``the agitating workmen at the factory successfully prevented t he management's attempts to bring in outside contract workers into the factory.''

However, the DRL spokesperson, Ms. Anuradha Altekar, said that the ``production continues as before at the formulations unit where a section of employees have struck work.''