The workers of the iconic Indian Coffee House are demanding early elections to choose a board of management for the Indian Coffee Workers’ Cooperative Society that would effectively govern the eatery.

The branches are managed by an interim administrator since 2011 as the previous board of management failed to conduct the elections on time.

The Society was established in 1958 by the retrenched employees of the Coffee Board under the Government of India with their terminal benefits as the working capital of the Society. The Society was formed by the then Leader of Opposition and veteran communist leader, A.K. Gopalan, with the help of the Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. The Society was registered in Puducherry under the Co-operative Societies Act 1972. It runs branches at T. Nagar and K.K. Nagar in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Big Kancheepuram, Kalpakkam and Neyveli besides having six branches in Puducherry.

As many as 154 employees working in the branches are also members and shareholders of the Society. Normally the chain of restaurants were being managed by a board of management, comprising a president, a vice-president and seven directors who were elected by the workers and a chief executive officer to be appointed by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies.

K. Ramachandran, Secretary of the Indian Coffee House Workers’ Union said, “Election was not conducted to constitute the board of management. Hence there is no improvement for the past four years as there was no board of management in place. The restaurants are not being managed in an efficient manner to turn profitable. In some places, the restaurants are having poor worker strength. Restaurants are kept unclean and service is delayed. The authorities not conducting the elections will only weaken the system further.”

R. Rajangam, president of the union, said the basic principle of cooperative movement is democratic control of the Society and the election should be conducted immediately.

The workers union also sought more fund allocation to the Society.

T. Murugan, honorary president, said the government should come forward to infuse funds to increase staff strength and open more outlets. The Tamil Nadu government exempted the Society from collection of sales tax. Puducherry government should also extend the exemption of value-added tax.

Workers demand early elections to choose board of management for Indian Coffee Workers’ Cooperative Society

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Puducherry / by R. Sivaraman / Puducherry – January 28th, 2015