PRESS RELEASE - HIWL Executive abducted, rescued with prompt Police Intervention

23 April 2008: With deep anxiety we would like to bring to your notice that in an act of unimagined and unprecedented violence today, nearly a hundred miscreants fuelled by the leadership of some trade unions functionaries of Hirakud Industrial Works Ltd (HIWL) stormed in Hotel Lila Towers, where a senior management team of HIWL had checked in. The offenders started beating up the HIWL executives and abducted Mr Biplab Bose, the Executive Director, in a three-wheeler to an unknown destination. By that time, Mr Bose, a heart-patient had been bleeding profusely.

Had it not been for the prompt support of the District Magistrate & Collector, Sambalpur and intervention of the Superintendent of Police, Sambalpur, the life of Mr Biplab Bose would have been under threat.

After rescuing Mr Bose, the police escorted them to a safe place, arranged for his treatment and advised the entire team of HIWL to leave Sambalpur at the earliest. Accordingly the HIWL management team left Sambalpur after lodging a FIR and they are now on their way to the Corporate Head Office of HIWL at Kolkata.

You’d agree that such acts of crime are not only against all civilised norms for settling employer-employee disputes but are absolute deterrents to all efforts in restoring the health of the Company and its people.

Background

You are perhaps aware that a section of the workers and union functionaries of Hirakud Industrial Works Ltd resorted to unruly behaviour within the factory premises and agitation at factory gates endangering the lives and liberties of managers and executives. Their appalling behaviour within the factory precincts finally resulted in declaration of suspension of work in November 2007. Since then the management of HIWL had been sincerely trying to resolve the impasse but could not succeed because of a few disgruntled elements with vested interest. On two previous occasions the HIWL management team kept waiting for the workers for disbursal of their dues, but on both the occasions a section of the union functionaries foiled the efforts on insubstantial grounds.

Finally the District Magistrate & Collector of Sambalpur intervened and asked HIWL management to disburse the payments to the workers towards their dues on Wednesday, 23 April 2008 from his office. Accordingly senior executives of the HIWL management reached Sambalpur along with the cheques for the workers and camped in Hotel Lila Towers. The DM & Collector asked them to meet him at 3 pm.

The unfortunate incident happened before the meeting could take place and the HIWL team, scared for life that they are now, rushed to the Corporate Office.

The above statement was sent by Mr. Debashish Bhattacharya of HIWL Management.