Chennai: Production in the Yamaha factory was hit on Friday after 700 workers announced to go on strike till Wednesday over a tiff between the labour union and the company. Employees of Royal Enfield were also on protest since four days to demand a settlement on their charter of demands, including wage increase. However, they withdrew their agitation on Friday, while Yamaha workers continue their protest.
The situation in the two-wheelers factory reached a deadlock after two workers were dismissed for intensifying their efforts to get Yamaha Motor Thozhilalar Sangham (India Motor Workers Association) registered.
On Thursday, the protesters demonstrated outside the factory even as their representatives battled it out in a tripartite conciliation meeting organised by the state labour department with the management.
According to S Kannan, a Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leader took part in the meetings, which began on Wednesday. Kannan said that Yamaha was bent on getting the protest withdraw, but the reinstatement of the employees is their priority. Tripartite meetings will begin again on Friday.
Trouble for Yamaha India had begun with the workers' call for recognition of their labour union by the management. Over the last few weeks,after assembly of workers inside the factory, Yamaha had filed complaints with the police against a few identified employees.
As the instances of assembling continues, Yamaha moved the Kanchipuram district court seeking police protection. The matter precipitated after Yamaha dismissed two employees part of the working council of the union. The strike began after the dismissal and entered its seventh day on Thursday.
In May, Tamil Nadu's southern district Thoothukudi turned into a battleground between protesters seeking the closure of copper smelter Sterlite and police officers struggling to control the crowd. The police opened fire, killing 13 people. While the incident still remains fresh in the minds of the people, it's impact on prospective investors has already begun: Philips Carbon Black, a supplier to tyre makers had said it was rethinking investments in Tamil Nadu after the Sterlite episode, even though the state industries department officials say on anonymity that the company was still in talks.
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