J&K paper mill workers protest over pending wages; police resolves matter with mgmt

The daily wagers alleged that the mill management drove them out of the premises and refused to pay their pending wages of two to three months

After a paper mill allegedly refused to remit wages to several daily wagers from various parts of the union territory and other states, the disgruntled employees staged a protest outside the mill in Kathua district on Tuesday.

Employees protesting outside the mill in Kathua district on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

The daily wagers alleged that the mill management threw them out of the premises and refused to pay them their pending wages of two to three months.

“For the past three years I have been working at this mill. However, this time around the owner has not given wages to around 200 workers,” said Mohammed Akbar, a resident of Doda. “While the mill is functioning, the owner has refused to give us our wages that vary from ₹9,000 to ₹13,000. Today when we insisted upon getting our wages, the mill management threw us out and threatened us,” Akbar added.

Another worker, Puran Singh Gurjar, from Madhya Pradesh, also made similar allegations. “We haven’t been given wages for three months. We were not even provided food amid this lockdown and today they threw us out because we demanded pending wages. We were treated like prisoners,” said Gurjar.

The manager of Nicer Paper Mill at Maroli, Rajinder Singh, said the mill was facing a financial crunch due to lockdown and promised to clear pending wages by Wednesday.

SSP Shailendra Kumar Mishra, police chief of Kathua district, said there were 50 or so workers who were protesting. He said, “Following protests outside the mill, a police party reached the spot and heard out the agitating workers. The mill owner was also summoned and the matter is sorted. The mill has given an assurance to retain all workers and none of them will be sacked.”