Sonepur, Aug. 23: Production has been hit at a spinning mill here as at least 450 workers have resorted to ceasework for the last two days demanding revision of their wage. The workers have been sitting on a dharna since Monday.

Sources said that on Sunday night, some workers had met the mill’s management to discuss about some of their demands. The agitating workers alleged that instead of listening to their demands, the authorities have threatened to lock out the mill.

Tension prevailed as the workers resorted to ceasework and staged a dharna in front of the gate of the mill demanding fulfilment of all their demands.

Sources in the management of the spinning mill said that about 450 workers were engaged in the mill, who included the skilled and the unskilled labours. The mill management paid a daily wage of Rs 90 to both the skilled and unskilled labours.

Rabi Sethi, a worker of the mill, alleged that the spinning mill’s management was paying them wage at a rate that was much less than the wage fixed by the government.

“The management here is paying Rs 90 per day to both the skilled and unskilled workers, which is much less than the minimum wage fixed by the government. The skilled labours should get at least Rs 126 everyday as fixed by the government,” he said.

Sethi further said that it was after an agitation that the wage was raised from Rs 50 to Rs 90 per day.

“Earlier the management used to exploit us by paying a meagre amount of Rs 50 per day. As we protested against this about four months ago, the mill’s management increased its labours’ wage from Rs 50 to Rs 90 per day. The management also does not pay other extra benefits to those workers who perform night duty. The mill also doesn’t have a canteen of its own which causes a lot of inconvenience to its workers. Among other demands, we also want Nuakhai advance which is scheduled for next week,” Sethi said.

Personnel manager of the mill, Binaya Pratap Singh, said the wage of the workers was being revised in a phased manner. “We have decided to raise the wage of the workers in the ring frame. We have also asked them to wait till September 1. But, they seem to be in no mood to listen to us. They are adamant with their demands,” Singh said.

He also said the management had no plans to lock out the mill. “We didn’t say anything which would indicate that we would lock out the mill. It is the workers who didn’t turn up for their work. We are finding out ways to ensure that the mill functions normally,” he said.