The employees of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) who have been on a strike demanding wage revision among other things, have more complaints against the management. Apparently, the children of the women who are participating in the strike were denied entry to the crèche facilities offered by the Company. Six creches are maintained by HAL where about 250 children below the age of six are looked after while their mothers are on duty.
However, now only the women who are not part of the strike are being allowed to drop their children at the crèche. The management has called this news a rumour and has completely denied the allegation. It maintains that no steps have ever and will ever be taken to cause any discomfort or trouble to its women staff. There are about 800 women in HAL’s workforce at present.
Despite intervention by the labour department, the strike is into its fifth day, and the protesting employees refuse to call it off till the management agrees to give 15 per cent fitment and 35 per cent perks to the staff. The Union is quite determined not to give up unless the management agrees to meet the employees and discuss matters unconditionally. It has decided that it will not cooperate if the management expects the striking employees to first end protests before meeting for discussions.
