The minister owned a textile mill in Hyderabad which was ‘illegally’ closed down in 2017. All the employees, about 500, were let go without a salary for their last four-months of work.
In 2018 the workers then filed a complaint with the Additional Director (AD) of Labour in Hyderabad which was then taken to the courts. Warrants were issued against the accused.
The former minister accepted the charges against him and he was ordered by the court to pay the workers and to pay the fine. The fine would keep increasing each day until he payed it.
If the former minister refused to pay the workers their salaries, the workers could file a second complaint against him.
The workers still haven’t been paid and according to the union the AD Labour isn’t filing a second complaint as well. Meanwhile, they add, that the minister is moving his set up to Punjab.
The union says that they will hold a protest outside the AD’s office in January 2020.