Ongole Dairy Employees' stir enters 22nd day Protesters decide to shift agitation to Collectorate

Ongole: The agitating employees of the Ongole Milk Producers Company Limited, announced to shift their agitation to the Collectorate from Thursday. Their relay hunger strike at the Ongole dairy completed 22 days on Wednesday and they announced to intensify the stir at the Collector's office as the government didnotrespond to their demands so far.

The employees had opted for a voluntary retirement scheme- 2020.

The employees' representatives G Narayana Rao, G Narasiah, M Srinivasa Rao, Ch Rambabu, Katuri Srinu, TL Padmaja and others said that as the Ongole Dairy is brought to function under the AMUL Dairy, the management asked the employees to give their consent for voluntary retirement under VRS- 2020 and submit the forms from January 1 to February 28, 2021. The company had displayed the total benefits for individual employees including the VRS package, IR and leave encashment, etc., on the notice board. The employees whose names were listed submitted the VRS option forms to the Dairy CEO immediately.

The employees' representatives said that many of them are in very much requirement of the money and hence agreed for the proposal of the company. But the CEO issued orders of termination of service from February 1, without clearing the dues and benefits.

The workers demanded the dairy to clear the PRC dues from June 2, 2014, to March 31, 2015, DA dues from January 1, 2015, EPF from November 2018, pending salaries from June 2020, surrender leave dues for the last 4 years, leave encashment, increment dues, LIC, credit society dues, IR, gratuity and GIS dues along with the VRS-2020 package immediately. They requested the dairy management, district officials and public representatives to do justice to them.

They have decided that to take their issue to the State government they are intensifying their protest and starting the relay hunger strike camp in front of the Collectorate from Thursday. They announced that the employees and workers along with their family members including the children will participate in the agitation and will never leave the place until their demands are agreed and payments.