'Clarify timeframe on worker deployment at Sahaganj'

Kolkata, April 10 (IANS) The West Bengal government Tuesday said tyre-maker Dunlop India Ltd (DIL) would have to clarify the timeframe within which the company would complete the process of taking workers back at its Sahaganj unit in Hooghly district.

"Dunlop appears keen to reopen its Sahaganj unit by April 18. But it would have to clarify the timeframe on deployment of workers," state Labour Minister Purnendu Bose told reporters after a tripartite meeting with the management, unions and labour commissioner.

Bose said the interest of workers would not be allowed to be sacrificed in reopening the tyre-making unit.

Representatives of the company told the meeting that in the first phase, it would deploy 57 workers in the maintenance department, the minister said.

"About 162 people would be engaged in the second phase and 222 in the third phase. Out of the remaining 400, some people would be given postings outside Kolkata and some would be given VRS," he stated.

Bose said the management of the tyre maker was under pressure due to the appointment of a provisional liquidator by the Calcutta High Court.

Dunlop management said it was hopeful of resolving the issues in a conclusive way in the next meeting.

The company had earlier urged the high court to stay its earlier order of appointing a provisional liquidator as it wanted to reopen its manufacturing unit in Hooghly within a week.

The state government, a party to the litigation, also echoed the company's views and said it was willing to extend all help to DIL in reopening the plant.