HAL employees' strike continues, unions reject management claim of fair offer
Bengaluru: The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited management on Tuesday urged its striking employees to accept the "fair offer" made by it but the latter stuck to their stand, saying the two-day old indefinite stir will continue till an 'amicable' solution beneficial to them was reached.
The Defence PSU also reiterated its stand that the strike was illegal, a claim rejected by the trade unions.
The employees of HAL across the country, including more than 10,000 here, launched the indefinite strike on Monday, demanding among others wage revision.
Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, HAL Director (Finance) C B Ananthakrishnan explained the financial position of the company and said it wanted to reduce the labour cost from 24 per cent to below 20 per cent.
Our offer is a fair and reasonable, he said.
On Sunday, HAL had said it offered to enhance allowance under the cafeteria system and revised rate of fitment benefit at 11 per cent among others, but the unions did not accept it.
HAL Director (Human Resources) V M Chamola said the management had so far conducted 11 rounds of negotiations with the unions.
There were issues, including cafeteria allowances, which the management tried hard to negotiate, he said.
All-India HAL Trade Unions' Co-ordination Committee (AIHALTUCC) chief convenor Suryadevara Chandrasekhar on Tuesday rejected HAL's charge that the employees' agitation was illegal.
We had informed the management as well as the Labour Commissioner about it before going for a strike, he told reporters here. He also disputed HAL's claim that wage revision had been effected twice in the past 12 years.
The revision did not take place twice since 2007 but was effected in two parts, he added. The employees unions decided to continue their agitation unless an amicable solution was evolved, he added.
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UP: Fake IAS officer marries woman, flees with Rs 15 lakh dowry
Gorakhpur (UP) (PTI): A newly married man fled with the Rs 15 lakh given to him as dowry by the bride's family, and it came to light later that he was an alleged serial scammer, police said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Pritam Kumar Nishad from Etawah, allegedly posed as an IAS officer to deceive the woman into marrying him. He is currently absconding with his sister, and a case has been filed against him for cheating, dowry harassment, and forgery, officials said.
According to the police, the woman's family claimed that they spent nearly Rs 30 lakh for the wedding that was solemnised on March 11.
The match was arranged through a matrimonial group, where the accused introduced himself as an IAS officer, sharing purported interview clips, office visuals, and photographs with politicians to gain the family's trust.
Despite initially claiming he would marry without dowry, the accused allegedly demanded Rs 15 lakh shortly before the engagement. The bride's family paid Rs 10 lakh in cash during the engagement and the remaining Rs 5 lakh on the wedding day, the police said.
The fraud came to light on Saturday after the woman reached Etawah, and a wedding attendee informed the family that the accused was not a civil servant. When her relatives visited the address provided by him, they found her in a small rented room, while the accused and his sister had fled, the police added.
The woman has also alleged that the accused planned to take her to Goa and sell her, and accused him of inappropriate behaviour.
The police suspect that the accused may have been involved in multiple such marriages in the past. Based on a complaint lodged at the cantonment police station, an FIR was registered on Saturday evening.
Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Kaustubh said efforts are underway to arrest the accused.
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