Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Jun 2: Urging the management to concede to their demands, workers of Hejamady tollgate in the district went on flash strike and staged protest, from 8 am to 12 pm on Friday June 1. Until the strike was withdrawn after the management promised to meet the demands put forth by the employees, the tollgate suffered heavy loss.

About 80 personnel stationed at Hejamady tollgate, 70 at Sasthan and 90 belonging to Talapady tollgate, who were working under Speedback company that was managing the tollgate till recently, complained that they have not got offer letters so far from Macrolines Infra Pvt Ltd , Navi Mumbai, which has taken over the management since the last one and half months. They said that there are confusions about salary disbursement and that a worker was suspended from duty without citing any reason. They asked the management to give reason for the employee's suspension and asked it to take him back to work.

Leader of the workers, Shivu, stated that uniform payment of salary to all the workers irrespective of their service and level of responsibility has been creating problems and that the tollgate does not have proper basic facilities. He said that the company has failed to give reason for a person's suspension and that it has not given any response even after seeking it repeatedly. "We have approached local MLA, Lalaji Mendon, who has asked an officer of the company to take part in consultation. Although the management promised to depute an officer on Thursday, it failed to keep up the promise," he stated.

Vehicles could pass through Hejamady tollgate without the need to pay toll charges on Friday for four hours, which caused loss of lacs of rupees for the company concerned. Zilla panchayat member, Shashikanth Padubidri, Hejamady gram panchayat president, Vishalakshi Puthran and others were present.

Representative of the company, Madhu Ramaswamy, who works as manager, promised to meet demands of the workers including issuance of offer letters. But he offered to take back suspended employee for work at the tollgate at Bengaluru and feigned ignorance about the reasons for the suspension of that worker.

The workers withdrew their stir after four hours, after deciding under the guidance of Bharathiya Mazdoor Sangh, to file suit in labour court.