Strike called off at Ace Glass unit in Nashik

The Nashik unit of Ace Glass Containers has restarted operations on Tuesday (November 8) after its workers called off strike. A settlement has been reached between the workers and the company management in the presence of Dinkar Pagare, deputy commissioner, Labour, at Nashik.

The workers of Ace Glass (of the C K Somani group) were protesting against Larsen & Toubro (L&T) selling its glass container unit in Nashik to Ace Glass. The workers were not taken into confidence on this issue. So their union (CITU-affiliated) had launched an indefinite strike on October 24.

Finally, a settlement was reached following successful discussions between the management of Ace Glass Containers and a delegation of Nashik Workers' Union.

D L Karad, general secretary, State CITU and R S Pande, vice-president, Nashik Workers' Union, signed the agreement, while Rajan Salvi, vice-president, Ace Glass Containers and S P Jahagirdar, deputy general manager, signed on behalf of the management.

Speaking to Business Standard, Karad said, "As per an agreement with the new management of Ace Glass Containers, no retrenchment will take place in future and workers will not be transferred outside the Nashik (Sinnar) plant. Only internal transfers will take place. The factory workers will get 15 per cent bonus (for 2004-05). The management will begin talks with workers' union after two months on increment issue and it will be applicable with effect from the date of expiry of the earlier settlement (November 1, 2004)."

He added, "Workers on contract basis will continue to work at the unit as per the existing practice." L&T began manufacturing flint glass containers in 1996 in Malegaon (Sinnar) MIDC area, 25 km from Nashik, and sold the unit to Ace Glass last month.

This plant has a manufacturing capacity of 320 million tonne per day and serves the liquor, soft drinks and food industries. The plant has 705 workers - 305 permanent and 400 on contract basis.