Chittivalasa jute mill issue in Visakhapatnam to be resolved in six months

The decade long deadlock at the Chittivalasa Jute Mill in Visakhapatnam District, between its management and the trade unions, has been a long pending issue. On Friday, the State Minister for Tourism, Culture & Youth Advancement, and Bheemli MLA, Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, convened a meeting with the jute mill management and leaders of five trade unions, with the objective of working towards a resolution within the coming six months.

At the meeting, the workers were represented by K. Varahala Raju of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Ch. Narsinga Rao of Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Allu Babu Rao of All India Trade Indian Union Congress (AITUC), Dalli Appala Reddy of Congress Karmika Sangham and Maddila Demullu of Telugu Nadu Trade Union Congress (TNTUC). From the State, the Joint Collector II, M. Venkateswara Rao, Joint Commissioner of Labour, M. Venkataratnam and Deputy Commissioner of Labour, T. Lakshminarsaiah, had also participated.

Deriving from the State Government’s keenness in resolving labour issues, as mentioned in its election mandate, the Minister also stated that he is even more eager to solve this particular issue as the mill is located in his constituency. He requested both sides to not stress this issue any further as this has been affecting over 6,000 workers of the jute mill. The trade unions demanded that the workers be given six months pay which the management has been refusing. Notably, even the apprentice workers of this jute mill in Visakhapatnam District haven’t been paid.

Mr. Rao has already discussed with the State Labour Minister, GummanurJayaram, wherein the latter had mentioned that a clear decision, regarding the duration of the compensation tenure, would make way for solving the jute mill deadlock. A meeting has been scheduled for 9 July 2019 between the two ministers, department senior officials, the jute mill management and respective trade union leaders. The agenda being discussing all pending issues an announcement of some unanimous decisions.