HAL employees to go ahead with strike after talks fail
Bengaluru, Oct 13: The workers of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will go on an "indefinite strike" from Monday as talks held by the management over the unions' demands including wage revision, ended in a failure.
While the HAL on Sunday said workers decided to go ahead with the "indefinite strike" despite it making "all out efforts" to avert it, an apex body of the employees unions said the management 'refused' to consider their "fair and reasonable demands".
The employees unions of the city-headquartered HAL have served notice at all locations of the Defence PSU to go on the indefinite strike from October 14 with regard to settlement of wage revision effective from January 1, 2017.
The HAL in a release said it held conciliatory talks on Saturday and Sunday in a bid to avert the strike and offered to enhance allowance under the cafeteria system and revised rate of fitment benefit at 11 per cent among others.
"Despite the management's concerted efforts towards bringing an amicable/early wage settlement, unions unfortunately have adopted a recalcitrant approach and did not accept the offer and decided to resort to indefinite strike; in spite of management's appeal not to resort to an indefinite strike and resolve the issue in a spirit of accommodation," HAL said.
It said the latest round of talks, 11th in the series of meetings held so far, were conducted keeping in view the overwhelming sentiment amongst majority of the employees for amicable and expeditious resolution of the issues and the overall interest of the organisation.
During the talks, a stock of issues settled and a few pending issues was taken up and the management also offered to enhance allowances under cafeteria system and revised rate of fitment benefit at 11 per cent, the release said.
The wage negotiation committee also apprised the unions the ill-effects of resorting to any strike jeopardising the interest of the employees and organisation and the nation at large, it added.
The All-India HAL Trade Unions' Co-ordination Committee (AIHALTUCC) said the decision to launch the strike was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Committee chief convenor Suryadevara Chandrasekhar.
The AIHALTUCC which met here "took stock of the situation arising out of the management's refusal to consider the fair and reasonable demands of the unions in regard to wage revision."
It resolved that all workmen in all the HAL divisions will be commencing their indefinite strike from Monday as decided earlier.
A resolution adopted at the meeting appealed to all workmen to fully participate in the indefinite strike and make it a "historical success," a release from AIHALTUCC, which comprises nine recognised unions, said.
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Elephant calf brought from Bijnor kept under care at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.
The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.
The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.
Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.
It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.
He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.
According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.
