750 city staff of Eicher, Yamaha go on strike

“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,” said S Kannan, District President, Kanchipuram, CITU.

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.