By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 20: Representatives of Mawmluh Cherra Cement Employee Union (MCCEU) on Monday submitted a letter to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, reiterating their various demands.
Their main demands include financial assistance for the employees until the cement plant becomes operational, as they are optimistic about its future. They had earlier urged the state government to consider upgrading the existing plant.
The other demands of the union are the payment of regular salaries to the employees and the implementation of the VRS scheme or the golden handshake.
MCCEU general secretary, P Lyngdoh, stated that they have reminded the chief minister of their demands, and the latter has assured them of a meeting, involving all stakeholders of the Mawmluh Cherra Cement Limited (MCCL), in the coming days.
He informed them that due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), no further commitment was made by the CM during the meeting.
“We urged the government to support our demands as we require their assistance,” added Lyngdoh.
The NPP-led MDA Government had decided to close the 58-year-old government-owned cement factory at Mawmluh, Sohra.
Earlier, the chief minister had said the state government was amicably settling the matter with the stakeholders and employees, and had more or less decided on the voluntary retirement scheme.
“There will be a kind of golden handshake with permanent employees, and then we will go for the 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.
