\'Protection day\' by Hindustan Machine Tools employees

Employees of public sector Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) Limited here, including officers, who are on agitation demanding implementation of their various demands, will observe a nation-wide \'protection day\' today.



Rally and public meetings would be convened here as part of the agitation, K Chandran Pillai, President, National Confederation of HMT Unions, along with other trade union leaders, told mediapersons here Thursday.



Pillai said a \'Save HMT\' national action committee, comprising unions and officers association from all HMT units has been formed recently.



The company which had 27,000 employees including officers a few years back, has only 8488 employees at present and it had a debt of Rs 1391 crore, he said.



Their demands included revival of HMT keeping it in public sector, wage revision and to make retirement age as 60.



As a part of the agitation, a national convention, would be held at Bangalore on February 16, he said.



Meanwhile, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan had assured a delegation of the trade union leaders that he will take up the issue to Prime Minister during his visit to Delhi on February 6