HMT issues closure orders of tractor division

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, January 20

The HMT management has issued closure orders of the tractor division in Pinjore. The orders were pasted last evening on the HMT Pinjore campus.

The order, which was pasted on the HMT campus, was issued by S Girish Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director, HMT. The similar orders were issued for Mohali and Hyderabad.

As per the order, “The contract of service of the workmen covered under the definition of Section 2 (s) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and on the rolls of the factories with HMT Limited (tractor business group) stands terminated and the workmen stand relieved from the services of the factories with effect from January 24.” The Union Cabinet in October last year had already approved the closure of the loss-making tractor division of the HMT at Pinjore. The meeting of the Cabinet was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The tractor division was incurring losses continuously and is unable to pay the salaries and other statutory dues to its employees based in Pinjore. The HMT tractor division was established in Pinjore in 1971 to manufacture HMT tractors. According to information, there were around 1,000 employees out of which around 850 had taken voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) and rest had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court.