Rajganj,06th October: Workers of a biscuit factory in Ambari staged a protest demanding a 20 percent bonus, on Wednesday. It has been alleged that the owner closed the factory without holding any prior discussions.
It has been learned that around 150 people work in this factory. The meeting was scheduled for Wednesday as the bonus issue was not resolved on Tuesday. However, the owner did not attend the meeting which sparked outrage among the workers.
Tapan Dey, district secretary of the workers’ union, said that the workers demanded a 20 percent bonus but the employer wanted to give an 8.33 percent bonus. The owner did not arrive at the meeting even after assuring to hold a meeting in this regard. Furthermore, the factory was shut down. The workers were not even paid for the month of September. The matter will be reported to the district labour office.
Over a telephonic conversation, Binit Agarwal, the owner of the factory, said that the government has been giving bonuses at the rate of 8.33 for the past 09 years. But this year, the labourers are demanding a 20 percent bonus which is not possible on their behalf.