The scheme, introduced on February 16, will remain open till March 31, covering nearly 3,554 employees of Indal's Belur sheet mill (West Bengal), Alupuram metal and carbon and alupuram extrusion (Kerala) and Belgaum smelter and alumina plant (Karnataka).

According to the management, the VRS had been introduced to rationalise manpower and reduce costs. But the employees are of the opinion that these could also be achieved without bringing the employees under VRS.

Stating the employees were not against cost reduction, general secretary of the Indal Union All-India Coordination Committee (IUAICC) Sital Dey said that this should be done without harming the interests of the employees.The IUAICC had suggested that to reduce costs, employees in all locationsshould be redeployed, existing employees multi-skilled and those without significant work be put in jobs now carried out by temporary contractors.

"But so far, the management has not shown any inclination for implementing our suggestion,'' Dey said.Various negotiations between the management and the unions in the Belur, Alupuram and Belgaum plants were hanging fire with the management insisting that the unions first accept VRS.

"AFFUAICC will oppose any forcible imposition of the VRS or any retrenchment in the name of VRS. It will oppose any attempt of humiliation of the employees. We are convening a meeting here soon to discuss our future course of action,'' dey said.

He expressed apprehension that while the management had not shown any interest in redeploying employees in other units, it could transfer employees in the domestic sheet business division, engineering manufacturing division and metal carbon division here in the name of redeployment to downsize its head office. A K Basu, the company'sgeneral manager, human resources, who is handling the scheme was not available for comment. The scheme, covering employees completing 10 years of service or has reached 40 years of age, proposes to give one and a half months salary for each completed year of service or salary for the remaining months of service left before normal retirement, whichever is less, up to a ceiling of Rs 5 lakh.