PANAJI
Dozens of workers have been laid off following the shutting down of the molten glass furnace at the Colvale facility of Goa Glass Fibre Ltd by the Directorate of Factories and Boilers.
The order issued in early June states that the furnace needs a "complete rebuild" after molten glass solidified inside the melter when furnace operations had been suspended.
Due to the shutting down of the furnace, the manufacturing operations at the Colvale facility have come to a complete halt, and the company laid off its workers from midnight of June 24.
However, employees needed for stores, warehouse operations and maintenance services have been retained, the company said, adding that the laid-off workers are being paid their dues as per the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
The laid-off workers have also been instructed to mark their daily attendance at the security gate, it said.
Meanwhile, conciliation proceedings related to an industrial dispute on service conditions are also currently in progress before the Assistant Labour Commissioner, Mapusa, and the representatives of the Union are negotiating with the company's Vice President (Plant Operations) and HR officials on the terms. A settlement is expected to be reached at the next conciliation meeting in July.
Goa Glass Fibre Ltd, formerly Binani, is an over three-decade-old company operating in Colvale and was hailed as a promising industrial investment during the 1990s.
