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SC reprieve for Kanpur Jute Udyog workers
WORKERS OF the Kanpur Jute Udyog heaved a sigh of relief on September 1 following a Supreme Court judgement directing the employer to clear all pending dues of the employees within 90 days of the judgement.
WORKERS OF the Kanpur Jute Udyog heaved a sigh of relief on September 1 following a Supreme Court judgement directing the employer to clear all pending dues of the employees within 90 days of the judgement.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India MK Sabharwal, and senior judges CK Thakkar and RV Ravindram delivered the judgement. Incidentally, the Kanpur Jute Udyog, a unit of Jaipur Jute Udyog Limited, was lying closed for the past 20 years.
Proprietor Kamal Morarka will clear workers’ dues worth Rs 4.37 crore. This includes 100 per cent payments of gratuity, leave with wages and bonus. About 1374 employees of the factory will benefit from the apex court’s judgement.
After a prolonged battle in BFIR and AAFIR, the employees’ union of the factory — Kanpur Jute Udyog Trade Union Sanyukt Morcha knocked at the door of the Supreme Court and filed a case on November 18, 2004.
However, no final decision could be reached on the contentious issue of payment of workers’ pending dues.
It was only after the Morcha and the employer reached an out of court settlement on August 28, 2006 that the long-pending issue could be settled.
While managing director of the company SK Maheshwari signed the final draft agreement on behalf of the promoter, Vans Gopal Singh, Amar Nath Shukla and Vaikunth represented the workers.
It was only when a senior lawyer of the Supreme Court Manik Karanjawala, representing the promoter, requested the court to dispose off the case in view of an agreement reached between the management and the workers that the apex court directed the promoter to clear all pending dues of the employees within 90 days of the judgement.
Senior advocate Colen Gonzalves took up the case on behalf of the workers. General secretary of the employees’ union Vans Gopal Singh informed that the court judgement came as a breather for the hapless factory workers.
Joint secretary of the employees’ union Vinod Tripathi said that the judgement could also pave the way for agreements between management and workers of other closed industrial units in the city.
