Displaying items by tag: Vasavadatta Cements

India: The Deputy Labour Commissioner of the Union government has convened a tripartite meeting with representatives from Vasavadatta Cements and UltraTech Cement, the Shramajeevigala Vedike and the Labour Department to find a solution to the on-going wage disputes at Karnataka cement plants.

Mr. Hiremath, trade union leader and president of the Shramajeevigala Vedike, claimed that the cement companies were spreading falsehoods about the implementation of wage board salaries to contract labourers. They continued to pay a negligible US$2.89/day against the cement wage board's recommendation to pay more than US$8.03/day. The companies also provided false information to the Labour Commissioner that the cement wage board's recommendations were being implemented and hid the fact that contract labourers were not receiving any other benefits.

Mr. Hiremath said that if the Labour Department failed to ensure that the cement plants implemented the wage board's recommendations, the employees would not have any alternative but to launch an indefinite protest in New Delhi.

India: Chandrasekhar Hiremath, president of the Shramajeevigala Karmika Sangha and a trade nion leader, has alleged that two cement plants in Karnataka are not paying the minimum wage to contract and full-time workers. According to comments reported upon by The Hindu, Hiremath said that the Regional Labour Commissioner in Bellary, Karnataka had failed so far to ensure that workers were being paid properly at the UltraTech Cement plant at Malkhed and Vasavadatta Cements at Sedam.

A national wage settlement signed between the employees' unions and cement producers entitles all contract labourers and full-time workers to receive the wages fixed by the Cement Wage Board. Hiremath further alleged that Vasavadatta Cements had submitted a misleading report to the Regional Labour Commissioner. Daily wages of contract labourers and full-time workers at the plant were US$7 as opposed to the US$9.50 minimum set by the board.

India: Chandrashekhar Hiremath, trade union leader and president of the Shramajeevigala Vedike, will begin an indefinite fast from 15 July 2013 on behalf of worker rights at cement plants in Gulbarga and Koppal districts of Karnataka state. According to The Hindu newspaper, Hiremath is demanding that cement plants keep their word on payment of wages to over 8500 contract labourers at four major plants.

At a press conference Hiremath said that Vasavadatta Cements, Rajashree (Ultratech) Cements, Chettinad Cements and Ultratech Cements had failed to follow an agreement made in 2011 stating that they would regularise contract labourers and bring them under the cement wage board. Currently, contract labourers are paid a wage of US$65-180/month. Yet under the wage board they would gain a minimum wage of US$256/month at the four cement plants.