Trouble flared up after a worker died in an accident at an Ambuja Cements manufacturing plant at Darlaghat town in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, 22nd December.
Ajay Kumar (35) allegedly fell to his death from a height of 30 feet while he was trying to clean a chimney.
His death triggered widespread protest in the plant. Agitated workers wanted a compensation of Rs 30 lakh for the deceased, and jobs for Kumar’s brothers along with a pension for his mother, but the company was ready to pay only Rs 20 lakh in all as Kumar had been a contractual employee.
Since the deceased had been a contractual employee, company officials were reluctant to enhance the compensation amount beyond Rs 20 lakh. This figure was arrived at only after protracted protests outside the plant.
A police official said that the plant had been shut for maintenance and Kumar was cleaning the 30-feet high chimney without the company adopting due safety precautions.
In case of the death of a workman, the company is supposed to pay compensation to the kin of the deceased vis-?vis his remaining years of service and a job to the kin.