JP Group employees end strike after talks led by MLA Chaitar Vasava, demands accepted

A 15-day-long strike by 182 employees of JP Group came to an end on Tuesday after discussions were held between the management and workers in the presence of MLA Chaitar Vasava.

Following the talks, the management agreed to accept six out of the seven demands raised by the employees with immediate effect and assured that the remaining demand related to salary hike would be addressed soon.

Providing details through a video message, MLA Chaitar Vasava said that the affected employees had been serving the company for the past 30 to 35 years. He stated that most of them are land losers whose land was acquired for the Sardar Sarovar Project.

According to him, the workers had repeatedly approached the management with their seven-point charter of demands, but when no resolution was reached, they decided to begin an indefinite strike.

“The employees have been on strike since January 17. On that day, we met them, and the following day we also held discussions with the management. However, the issue was ignored by JP Group, and the agitation continued,” Vasava said.

He added that the protest by the 182 employees lasted for more than 15 days, after which fresh talks were held with the management on Tuesday. During the meeting, six of the seven demands were accepted. Regarding the pending demand related to salary hike, Vasava said that, for the time being, a list of 62 employees has been prepared for promotion, while another 20 to 25 employees will be given upgradation.

The MLA further stated that the management has assured that from April 1, all employees will receive salary increments based on the nature of their work and their seniority. He also said that the JP Company, in coordination with Sardar Sarovar Nigam, has provided a written commitment on its official letterhead regarding the agreed decisions.

“Therefore, we believe that the agitation has reached a positive resolution,” Vasava said.

He also mentioned that he had requested the management not to deduct wages for the days during which employees participated in the protest. In response, the management assured that the pending salaries would be credited sooner or later.

Expressing gratitude, Vasava thanked everyone who supported the agitation and congratulated the employees for carrying forward the protest patiently. He said that he hoped the management would treat the employees like family members and that the workers would continue to perform their duties with dedication.

“Here, we bring this sit-in protest to a happy conclusion,” he said.