Garment unit staff protest salary dues

Ranchi: Over 500 employees of a private garment manufacturer — Orient Craft Fashion Industries Limited — staged a protest on Tuesday in the city’s Khelgaon area alleging non-payment of salaries for the past two months.The large number of workers gathered outside the company’s premises in the morning and partially halted operations for the day, demanding clearance of their pending dues, stating that the delay had caused severe financial distress to their families.The protestors alleged that the company is not only delaying their wages but also violating their rights by making them work extra hours without paying due compensation.Saraswati Kumari, an employee of the company, who joined the protest along with her colleagues on Tuesday, said that they have not received salaries of Feb and Mar.The company has around 2,000 employees and around 95% of them are women. Acknowledging the claims, the company’s general manager (human resources) Ravi Bhusan said that the garment export business faced a setback due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia. “We have promised the employees that their Feb dues would be cleared by next Monday. The management has also called a meeting with workers on Wednesday to discuss their issues,” he said.