Modern Food Industries Employees Union
Lawrence Road, New Delhi - 110 035
(Regd.-3238) & Recognised
Office: B-89, Gulmohar Park, New Delhi 110 049

April 26, 2005

To
The News Edior

Sir,
Kindly publish the following news item in your esteemed newspaper.

With sincere regards
(PRAKASH RAO)
General Secretary

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Workers of Modern Food Delhi Bread Unit-I agitate against attempts by HLL to close down the unit and retrench all the workers

As the continuos dharna of the Modern Food workers outside the gate of the biggest bread production unit in the country in the Lawrence Road Industrial Area of Delhi completes three years, the long pent up anger of the workers outside and inside the factory premises seems about to burst forth in a volcanic eruption that might have tragic and unforseen consequences.

In complete disregard for the interests of workers, the mulitnational owners of MFIL -HLL- have put up a notice demanding that all workers of this unit immediately sign on the dotted lines on a "Voluntary Retirement Scheme" form. The management has indicated that it plans to "exit" from bread production and return to its favourite pastime of trading and subcontracting. There are discussions going on with Pepsi, Bon Bread and other multinational groups to sell the land occupied by Bread Unit-I and the Fruti Juice Bottling Plant. Immense political pressure is being applied on the DDA to immediately convert the leasehold land to freehold land. Meanwhile, while the Bangalore Land has already been sold, advertisements have appeared in Delhi papers for the sale of the land belonging to the Faridabad unit. In a hush-hush agreement between the HLL management and some people who claim to represent the workers, a full-scale plan for the closure of all Modern Food units in the country one by one, has been worked out.

The Modern Food Industries Employees Union has launched a massive agitation to defend the workers as well as the movable and immovable assets of Modern Foods from stripping by the HLL management. A copy of the memorandum being submitted to the Prime Minister, to all Parliamentarians, and to trade union leaders is atached for your perusal. In the coming days, the continuos dharna in Lawrence Road will be converted into a series of public meetings, which will be attended and addressed by personalities from different walks of life.