Date:21/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/21/stories/2008092154360500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Jute workers’ strike begins

Correspondent

VIZIANAGARAM: Some 2500 workers of Nellimarla Jute Mills launched an indefinite strike from 6 am on Saturday after talks failed with the management on payment of gratuity to retired employees and four more demands. Talks on payment of gratuity were on for the last two years but there was no solution in sight. According to IFTU district secretary K. Sanyasi Rao, the management was to pay gratuity to 1273 employees who retired after attaining superannuation during the last 10 years. He said that the jute workers’ union, affiliated to IFTU, served a strike notice on the management on August 29 with settlement of gratuity as the main demand as some of the retired employees were dying even without receiving the amount. After a series of talks with Collector and Deputy Labour Commissioner on the issue failed, workers struck work, he said.