Coca-Cola workers decry move to close Jorhat and Byrnihat factories

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 9: The Jorhat-Byrnihat Coca-Cola Utpadan Kendra Shramik Sangram Samiti (JBCCUKSS) has decried the move on the part of Hindustan Coca-Cola Breverage Pvt Ltd magement to close its Jorhat and Byrnihat factories which, according to the Samiti, have been profit-making.

Talking to newsmen in the city today, Samiti conveners Robin Dutta and Harekrish Patowary said: “These two factories are profit-making and viable ones. The authorities, however, want to close them down showing them as loss-making. A lobby has been out to close down these two-profit making factories in the region so as to merge them with a bigger factory to be set up at Siliguri. Such a move is being taken despite the fact that most of the Coca-Cola products are sold in the Northeast. These two factories can meet only 40 per cent of the demand, and as such more products have to be brought to the region. Taking that into account, the company should have set up more such factories in the region.”

The conveners further said: “The company views the Northeast only as its market. If the company changes its view on the region, it can help generate employment in the region and contribute to its economy as well. In the event of closure of these two factories, uncertainty will haunt 300 permanent and over 700 casual workers of the company in the region. We request the governments at the Centre, in Dispur and in Shillong, and various political parties and organizations to take up the matter with the company and stop the closure of the two factories.”