Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society banks on its history to survive crisis

KOZHIKODE: The Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society banks on its chequered 100-year history to tide over the crisis created by demonetisation. The iconic company keeps up the morale of its 4,000 employees by sharing with them the experiences of its worst days when it survived with the cooperation of the workers who went without wages for months together.

The ULCCS, one of the largest cooperative ventures in the country and one of the leading players in the construction sector, requires '25 lakh daily to settle the wages of the workers and meet other basic expenses. The funds of the company, which has undertaken major government construction works, have been held up in banks for the last two weeks. Mr Ramesh Paleri, ULCCS president, told DC, “shortage of money or its unavailability is not new to ULCCS. Since its formation, the PWD has made us wait for approving the bill or settling the amount for long.

At that time employees had to struggle without salary but due to their commitment to the society, they faced the hardships boldly. We share these experiences with them and allay their worries. We have an understanding team though taking care of the migrants is a difficult task,” he said. At present, the company utilises the money that can be withdrawn from its accounts in various banks, but it is limited. Major transactions are processed through net banking, but this not possible in settling the wages of daily workers, Mr Paleri said.