Coimbatore: Members of the Coimbatore District Textile Workers’ Union on Friday petitioned chief minister MK Stalin urging him to take necessary steps to operate National Textile Corporation (NTC) mills in accordance with the lockdown restrictions in the state.
According to TS Rajamani, president of the union, all the seven NTC mills – five mills in Coimbatore and one each in Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga districts – were closed in April 2020 following the lockdown imposed to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
But even after the government had relaxed the lockdown norms and allowed industries/mills to operate following the lockdown restrictions, the mills were not operated.
Subsequently, trade unions had staged multiple protests demanding the higher-ups to operate the mills.
“Following the continuous protest, the Union government had granted permission to operate three mills – one each in Coimbatore, Sivaganga and Ramanthapuram districts – with 50% manpower.
Citing several reasons including fund crunch, they refused to operate remaining mills,” he said.
With the help of members of Parliament, we met Union government officials and they in turn had assured us that all the remaining NTC mills would be brought to operating stage gradually before March 31, 2021, he said and added that nothing has been implemented on ground.
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