Trade unions demand reopening of NTC mills in Tamil Nadu without preconditions
Trade unions in Tamil Nadu have demanded reopening of the seven textile mills operated by the National Textile Corporation (NTC) in the State without preconditions.
M. Arumugam, AITUC leader, told The Hindu on Tuesday that the NTC management recently sent out letters to individual workers of the NTC asking their suggestions on reopening of the mills that remain closed since March 2020. 'In the history of NTC mills, it is the trade unions that speak on behalf of the workers. Hence, the NTC management should seek the views of the unions and not that of individual workers. So, the trade unions met and decided to reject the letter of the NTC management and wrote to it demanding immediate reopening of the mills without preconditions,' he said.
Of the 23 NTC mills in the country that remain shut for the last five years, seven are in Tamil Nadu and these used to employ about 5,000 permanent workers. The NTC paid full wages to the workers till June 2023. The unions also demanded payment of wage arrears along with statutory benefits to the workers.
HMS leader TS Rajamani said the union leaders in Coimbatore are trying to meet the Union Textile Minister Giriraj Singh to discuss about the NTC mills. 'The NTC has sources for funds. It should reopen the mills and operate them. There is no clarity still on what the Central government plans to do about these mills that remain closed since the COVID pandemic. We have not yet met the new Union Minister. We are trying to meet him with the support of Coimbatore MP,' he said.
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