Renault Nissan workers boycott work, Hyundai, Ford, Eicher functional

By Venkatachari Jagannathan

Chennai, May 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) The workers union at the Franco-Japanese joint venture plant Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd has decided not to report for duty on Monday till Covid-19 safety measures are put in place.

On the other hand, workers at Hyundai Motor India Ltd, Ford India Private Ltd and Eicher Motors Ltd have reported for work and the company's plants are operational.

In a statement issued here, Renault Nissan India Thozhilalar Sangam (RNITS) said, its Executive Committee considered the apprehension of workers about their safety and not wanting to risk their lives.

According to the Union, the company management was not inclined to reduce production by cutting down the footfalls to maintain the social distance inside the plant.

The Union said, social distance is not maintained in the car plant's body shop conveyor line.

That apart, the management did not give the Union any acceptance to their demand of rehabilitation measures for the family members of the workers who died due to the Covid-19 and with respect to the medical treatment for affected workers.

"So far 200 workers alone have been vaccinated with the 1st dose of the vaccine and they also have not developed immunity. The union's request for operating line 1 in 3 shifts and line 2 in 2 shifts so as to ensure social distancing through reduced footfall, has not been accepted by the management," RNITS has written to the company management.

Last week, the RNITS had declared an indefinite boycott of work from May 26 onwards till Covid-19 safety measures were implemented in the factory.

"Five workers have died and about 850 have been infected with the coronavirus at Renault Nissan Automotive since last year," K. Balaji Krishnan, President RITS had earlier told IANS.

Later Renault Nissan Automotive decided to close down the plant for five days -- May 26 to May 30- and restart production on May 31.

Meanwhile factories of Hyundai Motor, Ford India and Eicher Motor have restarted their production after a couple of days of closure in the wake of Covid-19 spread.

"The Hyundai Motor car plant has restarted after a couple of days. Even during that period a couple of employees have died due to Covid-19," Hyundai Motor India Employees Union (HMIEU) President E. Muthukumar told IANS.

Citing the Covid-19 spread, the HMIEU has requested the management to close the factory till June 7, the time when the state lockdown comes to an end.

The HIMIEU has also asked the management to deploy only 50 per cent of the workforce if it considers the operations are necessary on alternate days.

Speaking to IANS an official of the union in Ford India said, the factory has started working and talks are on with the management on our demands like financial compensation for the families of the workers who succumb to Covid-19.

According to the Union official, the Ford India management has explained the necessity of running the plant as they are not sure when the full lockdown would be declared by the state government.

At the Eicher Motors plant near here, workers have started rolling out the two wheelers. A worker told IANS that the management has told them that components for three days production is available at the factory and after that decision will be taken.

Eicher Motors workers also told IANS that the management should show some compassion in settling the dues of workers who died of Covid-19 or other reasons.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)

Source: IANS