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| Exchange Disseminated Time | Oil Country Tubular Ltd has informed BSE regarding Outcome of Emergency Board Meeting held on February 22, 2016.
"On February 17, 2016, a notice was given to a machine Operator calling for explanation for the tooling damage. On Feb around 2.00 pm the Operator and other workmen in a preplanned manner assembled near the shop floor office of Mr. Mastan Rao, Senior Assistant General Manager (Operations) and entered the office and attacked him with an intention to kill. The Shop Engineers and Mr. Mastan Rao were manhandled and the Workers pushed Mr. Mastan Rao into a corner towards the restroom and hit him with a solid steel mandrel/ tool on the head causing grievous head injury and was left profusely bleeding in an unconscious state. The workmen cordoned off the shop floor and did not allow anyone to enter the shop floor and only after the Police arrived at around 2.20 pm, Mr. Mastan Rao was rushed to the hospital in an unconscious state. He was later shifted to a multispecialty Hospital in Hyderabad for medical treatment and was put on ventilator support. On Feb 20th, he succumbed to the grievous head injuries.
The Management reviewed the CCTV footage and is aghast at the cold bloodedness and the dastardly act of the Workmen.
Based on the CCTV footage, the Police took into custody 30 workmen. The complete CCTV footage has been given to the Police to assist them in their investigations and in identifying all the workmen who were active and associated with the dastardly act.
Under these circumstances, the Board of Directors in an Emergency meeting held today, Feb 22nd, reviewed the situation and decided to stop the Operations in view of the alarming serious situation prevailing and to ensure the safety and lives of the Executives.
The Company has lost one of its top executives to the dastardly act of the Workmen. The Company, cannot risk the lives and to ensure the safety of the Managers, Engineers, Executives and Staff, has no other option but to stop the Operations with immediate effect. The State Government is being requested to investigate the incident and take strong actions in maintaining law and order and to ensure the safety of the Managers, Engineers, Executives and Staff and the property of the Company.
It may be recalled that on Oct 07, 2014, the workmen struck work illegally in a concerted manner without any notice or reasonable cause. With outsiders instigations, the workmen resorted to non-cooperation, indulged in severe misconduct, indiscipline, unruly and violent activities without any reason and struck work disturbing the industrial peace and putting the premises and personnel to great risk. During the period, the workmen indulged in threatening with dire consequences the Managers, Engineers and Staff who were reporting to duty and running the Operations and even went to the extent of attacking the Company Executives in front of the Police Station right in the presence of the Police.
The Company kept the Home & Labour Minister and Industries Minister informed about the state of affairs regularly and requested them in many meetings to take appropriate firm actions to protect the lives of the Company’s personnel and properties.
However, despite the apprehensions of the Company on the safety of the personnel and property, the Home & Labour Minister and Industries Minister, advised the Company, time and again to take back the workers. The Company was advised to pay huge amounts of unreasonable compensation to the workmen who indulged in violent activities and grave misconduct, upon their dismissal after proper enquiry. The Company reluctantly agreed to take the other workmen based on the assurances of the Minister of Home & Labor and Industry Minister for the good conduct of the workmen despite fears from the Management about their violent behavior and threats to the Managers, Engineers and Staff and safety of the plant & machinery. Accordingly, the workmen reported for duty in September, 2015. However, indiscipline and threats continued after reporting for duty from time to time and on Feb 18th, they resorted to a preplanned attack on Mr. Mastan Rao, Senior Assistant General Manager (Operations) who succumbed to the grievous injuries on Feb 20th. More key personnel are under veiled and direct life threats and the Company has no option but to shut down the Operations." |
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