Kolhapur: Despite pending salaries, the employees working at the sugar mills are at the forefront in the election campaign to support the director or president of the sugar mills, who are contesting the assembly polls.
The politics in Maharashtra revolve around the sugar industry, and the mills are facing financial scarcity from the last two years due to sugar glut and low sugar prices. Some mills have not yet paid FRP to farmers, and salaries of mill workers. Sugarcane farmers are the major vote banks, therefore mills will leave no stone unturned to woo them by clearing their dues. Whereas, mills workers never become the centre of attention of anyone, and they are left with no option but to campaign for the candidates associated with the mills.
Avinash Apate, representative of state sugar labour organisation representative said, “As the economic woes of sugar factories have worsened, the salaries of more than 50 thousand workers in 60 to 70 factories is pending for the last several months. We had organised a rally at Sugar commissioner office in Pune, but nothing has happened since then. We will launch our agitation after Diwali for our demands.”
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