Mysuru: Members of ITC Limited Technical Staff Union, a unit of Mysuru District General Employees Union, have launched a morning to dusk breakfast, lunch and tea abstinence protest during work hours from Monday up to August 5.

In a press statement, the members stated that technical officers and agriculture officers of the Karnataka Green Leaf Threshing (KGLT) unit of the ITC at Thandya Industrial Area in Nanjangud taluk will protest.

They alleged that the management of the company is threatening the members with dire consequences if they do not resign from the Union.

District General Employees Union President G. Jayaram said the ITC management has started threatening the workers attached to ITC Limited Technical Staff Union of dire consequences for forming the Union. It is asking the workers to resign from the union to avoid any action by the management.

Jayaram said the workers had submitted their genuine grievances to the management but it refused to either accept it or discuss it following which they approached the Labour Department. When the matter is pending before Labour authorities, five workmen, including three office-bearers of the Union, were transferred to remote places in Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Hence, the Union has gone for protest against the unfair practices of the management of ITC seeking to resolve the issues and revoke the transfer.                                   

The workers have also planned a day-long dharna in front of the ITC Limited Corporate office at Guntur, Andhra Pradesh on August 14.