Demand to reinstate suspended employees of NAD intensifies

Visakhapatnam: Defence Coordination Committee chairman Reddy Venkata Rao demanded that all the suspended employees of the Naval Armament Depot (NAD) should be reinstated with immediate effect. Opposing the suspension of employees, union leaders expressed their solidarity with the protestors.

Speaking to the media here on Thursday, the chairman stated that the management suspended 36 workers on November 22 after the union leaders and workers at NAD demanded payment for the overtime work done in the past.

He pointed out that those who did not go to the CGM office and those who were on leave were also suspended. When the issue was brought to the notice of the management, seven workers’ suspensions were revoked, while another seven were newly added to the list, Reddy Venkata Rao said.

Since the last 20 years, workers and supervisors at NAD (including the Dockyard) have worked overtime beyond their regular eight-hour shifts, while the extra hours were compensated as OT, he mentioned.

However, the new CGM created a problem by declaring that the OT earned so far by workers was against the law and refused to compensate for it, the chairman informed.

Despite repeated requests from lower-level officers up to the general manager, labour officers, and union leaders to continue this practice, the CGM refused to provide the OT amount, citing the clause of the Factory Act, he informed.

After the CGM took charge, OT work continued even after 8 pm, including on Saturdays and Sundays, Venkata Rao recalled. When the workers questioned why they should work extra hours without OT compensation, the management threatened disciplinary action against them, he added.

NAD CE union honorable president AV Thomas mentioned that even when all the officers signed off on the OT records, the CGM refused to sign them.

He raised objections over the attitude of the CGM with the women workers. He demanded that police cases against six workers and suspension of 36 others should be revoked. The union general secretary R Srinivas and secretary working committee DV Srinivasa Rao informed that opposing the management’s attitude, a bike rally will be held on December 8 at 9 am from NAD to the Gandhi statue at GVMC, followed by a public meeting.