Employees of the state-owned Mawmluh Cherra Cements Ltd (MCCL) will begin an indefinite hunger strike at the company’s head office in Shillong from December 8 over the delay in clearing their pending salaries among other issues.
Speaking to Highland Post today, president of the workers’ union, Shanlang Diengdoh, said that the employees have obtained permission from the Deputy Commissioner to stage their protest and will continue with it until they get a written assurance on their various demands.
“We want the normal salary and not the consolidated payment and we want the cement plant to function properly so that it does not become a burden in paying the employees’ salaries,” he said while stating that enough sacrifice has been made by the employees and they will no longer tolerate delays in the release of their long-pending salaries.
The company, which is in dire financial straits, has a salary bill of around Rs 1.40 crore per month.
The employees have been seeking the state government’s attention to initiate necessary revamping measures for a company that is perpetually on life support.
Five hundred workers were not paid from February to October of this year, while five months’ salaries from 2016-16 were also never paid.
