Chennai: About 750 workers at the Japanese two wheeler maker India Yamaha Motor’s plant near here are on strike protesting the dismissal of two office bearers of their union, said an official of the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) here.
“Two months back workers at the two wheeler factory had formed an Union-India Yamaha Motor Thozhilalar Sangam (IYMTS)- which was resented by the management. A complaint was made to the Labour Commissioner office in Kanchipuram District. The management never turned up for the conciliation meetings,” S. Kannan, District President, Kanchipuram, CITU told IANS on Monday.
The IYMTS is affiliated to CITU.
He said two office bearers of the union who had applied for leave to attend a union meeting while in the factory were handed their dismissal orders when they reached the factory gates.
They were not able to enter the factory later as the machine where the two workers had to key in their data did not accept their credentials.
According to Kannan, a conciliation meeting has been called on September 26 and it has to be see whether the management representatives would attend it.
He said the India Yamaha Motor factory has about 2,500 workers consisting of contract workers, apprentices and others.
Kannan said 117 workers at Dongsan Automotive India are also protesting against the manner in which they were sent out and non payment of wages for the past seven months.
According to Kannan, about 140 workers at another automotive component maker Myoung Shin Automotive India Pvt Ltd (MSI) are striking work for recognition of their union.
Meanwhile about 3,000 workers (permanent, contract, apprentice and others) at Eicher Motors Ltd’s factory at Oragadam near here rolling out Enfield Bullet and other motorcycles are on strike from Monday onwards.
“We had given strike notice on Aug 18, 2018 and workers are on strike since Monday morning. The Labour Department had called for an emergency conciliation meeting in the afternoon. While we were there, the management did not turn up,” R. Sampath, Vice President, Royal Enfield Employees Union told IANS.
He said the workers formed the union last year which was not liked by the management.
“Bonus was not paid for the past three years and there was no wage revision,” Sampath added.
[source_without_link]IANS[/source_without_link]