Hejamady tollgate staff flash strike, incurs heavy loss

Udupi: Workers of Hejamady tollgate in the district went on flash strike and staged protest, from 8 am to 12 pm on Friday June 1^st.

The workers urged the management to concede to their demands. the strike was withdrawn after the management promised to meet the demands put forth by the employees, however, the toll gate by then had suffered heavy loss.

The 80 personnel stationed at Hejamady tollgate, 70 at Sasthan and 90 belonging to Talapady tollgate complained that they have not got offer letters so far from Macrolines Infra Pvt Ltd , Navi Mumbai, which has taken over the management from Speedback company  since the last one and half months.

There is confusion about salary disbursement and that a worker was suspended from duty without citing any reason, they complained. They demanded the management to give reason for the employee’s suspension and also take him back to work.

The uniform payment of salary to all the workers irrespective of their service and level of responsibility has been creating problems and that the tollgate does not have proper basic facilities, informed Shivu, leader of the workers. He said that the company has failed to give reason for a person’s suspension and that it has not given any response even after seeking it repeatedly.

“We have approached local MLA, Lalaji Mendon, who has asked an officer of the company to take part in consultation. Although the management promised to depute an officer on Thursday, it failed to keep up the promise,” he explained.

The concerned company faced loss of lacs of rupees due to this flash strike as vehicles passed through Hejamady tollgate without the need to pay toll charges for four hours on Friday.

Madhu Ramaswamy, who works as manager and represents the company promised to meet demands of the workers including issuance of offer letters. But he feigned ignorance about the reasons for the suspension of that worker, yet he offered to take back the suspended employee for work at the tollgate at Bengaluru.

After deciding under the guidance of Bharathiya Mazdoor Sangh, to file suit in the labour court, the workers withdrew their stir that lasted four hours.