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Title: Need to revive the HMT factories and undertake pay-revision of the employees of HMT factories.
SHRI CHARLES DIAS (NOMINATED): The seven factories of Hindustan Machine Tools in our country were managed well for more than three decades. Among these, five units of machine tools were having a monopoly of machines and the others were manufacturing watches, tractors and bearings. The products were having much demand and the employees and the management cared to maintain their reputation. The HMT was the reliable brand among the Public Sector Undertakings in our country.
But, for the last more than ten years, some factories were running on loss and some units have been closed down. It is learnt that since 1997 there was no pay-revision on the ground that the factories were running in loss. But, at the same time it is understood that the HMT Machine Tools factories are making profit.
The employees of HMT started their protests and demonstrations against delay in wage revision since more than 8 months. In the meanwhile it was learnt that there was a move to handover the Machine Tool factories to a private group. Either the Government should take initiative to manage these factories in an efficient way or handover the management to an agency who can manage it well for the better interest of the employees and the nation. The Government should also consider segregation of the affairs of each factory and implement pay-revision for the employees in the factories running on profit.
The relevant question is how these factories failed to maintain the manufacturing and marketing techniques. If the Government adopts a policy of discouraging Public Sector Undertakings and thereby closing down PSUs, it will not be according to the policy of mixed economy adopted by the Government. The Government has to look urgently in this matter and take necessary steps to strengthen HMT by bold and effective steps.