Nokia management cautions former workers

Says unreliable people taking their advantage; move comes when a section of workers refused to resign, seeking job assurance

Nokia India, the handset manufacturing arm of the Finnish electronics major Nokia which has suspended its manufacturing from November, has advised its former workers not to fall into the trap of unreliable people and warned that it would not be able to provide more money than what it has already distributed.

The notice, displayed by the management on its fence, comes in the backdrop of a group of workers in the Sriperumbudur facility of Nokia India refusing to resign accepting the severance package agreed by the workers' union.

"We have already informed all of you (workers) that Nokia India is not legally bound to give any more money or other benefits," said the company. In another notice, it said that it has come across information that some of the unreliable people are giving out false promises through short messages and social media.

It may be noted that a section of the around 950 workers marked their protest against the agreement between Nokia India Workers Union and the management for a severance package in a tripartite meeting. They have also refused to resign as per the agreement and sought job assurance from the company if Nokia or any other management start operations in the facility again. Some of the workers have also asked for more money in the severance package, which was offering a package between Rs 6.8 lakh to Rs 10.5 lakh depending upon the experience of the worker.

In its notice, the company also reminded the workers that it has been taking care of the welfare of the workers and has disbursed whatever money they could offer to the workers at the time of resignation.

The company suspended manufacturing activities in the facility from November 1, 2014, as Microsoft, which has agreed to provide contract works to the company, terminated the transitional services agreement (TSA).

Nokia India has offered a package consisting of Rs 1 lakh compensation, three month salary for every working years upto a maximum of 15 months and salary for the three months notice period, salary for November and December and double the wage for each unused earned leaves and the bonus.

Nokia and its facility in Sriperumbudur has been facing various tax related disputes in the recent past, and the company has suspended its manufacturing activities in the facility from November 1, 2014, after Microsoft terminated the transitional services agreement (TSA) with this facility. Originally, the factory was supposed to be transferred to Microsoft, which acquired Nokia's device and service business globally, but it was left out from the deal, since the IT Department, which slapped a Rs 21,000 crore tax notice against the company, has freezed the factory. Later, Tamil Nadu Government also slapped a Rs 2,400 crore sales tax notice.