SHILLONG, July 21: Former KHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) and Sohra MDC, Tittosstarwell Chyne, urged the state government to involve all stakeholders, including local representatives, before making a final decision on the fate of the struggling Mawmluh Cherra Cement Limited (MCCL). Speaking on Sunday, Chyne stressed the importance of a collaborative approach, especially concerning the potential closure of MCCL.
Chyne highlighted that the government has already decided to scrap the old wet process plant and stressed on the need to understand the government’s plans for the new dry process plant. He also pointed out that if the government opts to implement a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), it should ensure that all employees are accommodated, attributing the plant’s downfall to management failures rather than employee performance. “Employees should receive all the benefits they are due,” he stated, voicing his support for the employees’ demands.
Earlier, the Mawmluh Cherra Cements Limited Employees’ Union (MCCEU) resolved not to sign the proposed compensatory scheme papers until they received satisfactory clarification from the management. This resolution was passed during a general body meeting in Mawmluh, Sohra, on Friday, following a notice from the management asking employees to discuss the compensatory scheme in Shillong.
MCCEU president Shanlang Diengdoh noted that the union had not received a copy of the notice, which was only posted on the plant’s notice board.
“We had gone to meet the Managing Director to enquire about this notice. We are told that some of the employees were asked to sign some papers,” Diengdoh said, emphasising the need for written clarification from the management. “We will not comply with any directive from the management unless we receive clarification,” he added.
In a meeting with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in May, the union addressed various pending issues faced by MCCL employees.
The Chief Minister assured a stakeholders’ meeting in June to discuss MCCL’s future, which the government plans to close.
Diengdoh proposed that the VRS should be for a minimum of 10 years and suggested a special scheme for employees with shorter service durations, allowing them to transfer to other government departments if unwilling to opt for VRS. He also insisted that employees should have the right to reject the scheme if the financial offer does not meet their expectations.
