The employees of Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd. (HAL) have kick started serious protests against the liquidation notice issued by the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR). The employees union, Hindustan Antibiotics Mazdur Sangh, as part of their agitation has started a series of public awareness programme by organizing protest meetings at the main gate of the corporate office and at the factory complex of the company in Pune.

Though the work at the factory is still not disrupted, the employees wanted to make the public aware of the issues involved in closing such a public sector company. "First, we want to make the public and the authorities aware of the consequences of liquidating a public sector pharmaceutical company which produces life saving antibiotics and also provider of employment to more than 1000 people," said Arun Bohrade, general secretary, Hindustan Antibiotics Mazdur Sangh (HAMS).

The BIFR had issued its judgment in August this year that since the Board could not find ideal bidders to takeover the company in its privatization move, the company can be wound up within a stipulated time of three months, which ends on November 27.

The employees union alleges that the BIFR order is not justified as there are several other options available to revive the company before going for liquidation. The employees union argued that the company is still at a comfortable position to operate on its own without creating anymore liabilities to the government, so the Board should have waited for some more time to consider those options before issuing such a notice.

Meanwhile the employees union itself has submitted a revival plan to the government and the BIFR for considering the alternative schemes to turn around the company using its own available resources. The union also pointed out that since the current operational level of the company is quite satisfactory, the government and the BIFR should have given some more time for the management to run the company by examining the fresh proposal.