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Visakhapatnam , Sept. 4

THE unions in the Chittivalasa jute mill at Tagarapuvalasa in Visakhapatnam district have decided to intensify their agitation and two union leaders would go on an indefinite hunger strike from Friday.

The mill has been out of production for over three months due to an industrial dispute. In a statement issued here on Thursday, Mr Ch. Narasinga Rao, the president of the State unit of CITU, said the present impasse is due to the management's decision to unilaterally implement Section 9 (A).

He said the company was running in profit, judging by the financial statements issued by the management and there was no truth in the management's claim that it had implemented section 9 (A) "to achieve a level playing field with other jute mills and stay competitive".

Mr Narasinga Rao said, "The workers in the mill here were getting around Rs 1,000 less per month than their counterparts in West Bengal. The number of composite jute mills in the State had risen from four to nine and that of twine mills from 10 to 24, belying the contention of the managements that the industries were in deep crisis."

Earlier, in a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the mill management said the agitation of the workers was not justified. Mr H.S. Singh, the Director, said that jute industry was labour-intensive and therefore the wage structure should be such that the mill could compete in the market.

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