By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 8: The Mawmluh Cherra Cement Limited Employees’ Union (MCCLEU) on Monday resolved to urge the state government to consider upgrading the existing plant.
The resolution was adopted at the union’s annual general meeting in Sohra on Monday.
“After reviewing our three-point demand, we would like to appeal to the state government to upgrade the existing plant,” MCCLEU president Shanlang Diengdoh said.
He said the union’s members are aware that the state government is weighing the option of closing down the cement plant.
“But as employees. we want the existing plant to be upgraded if there is a way out,” he said.
Diengdoh said the other two demands of the union are the payment of regular salaries of the employees and the implementation of the VRS scheme or golden handshake.
“We have heard the chief minister speaking about the VRS scheme. We are waiting for an official invitation from the government to discuss this issue,” he said.
He said the union leaders would not be able to decide if there is any offer from the government. “Any settlement offered by the government has to benefit the employees,” he added.
Pointing out that the employees can do nothing more than appeal, he said the state government, plant management, Hima Sohra, and Hima Mawmluh have to take the final decision on the closure of the plant together.
Replying to a query, Diengdoh said the union had written to the government about its three-point demand for the first time in April 2023. “We sent another communication on the same demands on June 6 last year,” he said.
The MCCLEU, however, refused to comment on the banned HNLC’s death threat to Sohra MLA, Gavin Miguel Mylliem, holding him responsible for the deteriorating condition of the MCCL.
The NPP-led MDA government had a few weeks ago decided to go for the closure of the 58-year-old government-owned cement factory at Mawmluh, Sohra.
Earlier, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the state government is amicably settling the matter with the stakeholders and employees and it has more or less decided on the voluntary retirement scheme.
“There will be a kind of a golden handshake with permanent employees and then we will go for closure of MCCL,” he said.
According to him, the state government requires a huge investment to move forward with the cement factory even though more than Rs 300 crore has been invested in the project in the last 15 years.
“We have tried our best to revive the MCCL but under the given circumstances, the public and employees are suffering. We decided on the closure after consultations with the stakeholders,” Sangma said.
The state government was earlier planning to go for a joint venture to revive the cement plant but did not get much response.