Workers at the country's largest private sector conglomerate, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), on Thursday went on strike at the company's textile division at Naroda in Ahmedabad demanding a 60 per cent rise in wages. The company maintained operations at its plant “are continuing peacefully.”
The company’s website shows nearly 6,000 employees work at the unit, of which several have joined the strike, called by a group of employees under the name of 'Reliance Employees' Union'. The union, however, is not registered or affiliated to any trade union body.
The union claimed the strike call was given from the second shift yesterday, demanding wage revision, increase in bonuses, removal of fixed salary system and uniform rights for wage-board and contractual employees. However, the company did not confirm the strike-call by the workers.
In its statement issued on Thursday late evening, a company spokesperson said, “We had, keeping in mind safety of our workers at the shop floor of the Naroda unit, issued a circular disallowing usage of mobile phones inside the plant. Following queries by certain employees, we had deferred implementation of the stated policy. We are in a dialogue with the Union leaders to enhance safety of workers on the shop floor. Meanwhile, operations are continuing peacefully at the plant."
“At least 4,000-5,000 employees have joined us in strike. The production has come to a standstill in the unit,” claimed Sagar Patil, a representative of workers and general secretary of the so-called union.
The striking workers claim to have submitted a 14-point agenda stating their demands to Anand Parekh, president (textiles division), RIL, on Thursday morning. A large group of workers from two shifts had gathered at the plant site and shouted slogans against the company's management during the afternoon hours.
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"We are demanding 60 per cent wage hike and 20 per cent bonus. For the past five years, there has been no increase in wages. The management has not cared enough to listen to our demands. Hence, we have decided to go on strike and will continue our fight till our demands are met," said Hasmukh Patel, president of Reliance Employees Union.
In order to maintain law and order situation at the plant site, the management sought the deployment of police force in the factory premises. "There is complete peace here and no disturbance reported," said a senior police official deployed outside the plant in the Naroda industrial estate of Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation.
"Low wages are unjustified. The permanent workers are paid Rs 6,000-6,500 per month, while those on contract are paid a petty Rs 85-100 per day (for an 8-hour shift). Other than this, we have no complaints regarding working conditions or the timing of work," said Patil.
The textile division of RIL runs in three shifts and manufactures fabrics of various types including suitings, shirtings and home textiles under the brand name of 'Vimal'. The Naroda complex of is spread over 120 acres and has assets worth Rs 300 crore. The complex has been in operation since 1963, the company website says.
Earlier in Gujarat, there was a labour strike at automobile major General Motor's Halol plant near Vadodara. In March 2011, workers at the plant had gone on an indefinite strikes primarily workload and overtime issues. The strike lasted 50 days after the workers and management reaching an understanding. Earlier, in November 2010, at the same unit at Halol, close to 900 employees had gone on a 4-day strike demanding higher wages.