Strike at Asian Paints factory near Chennai

They want assurance of withdrawal of action against four workers and also 62 contract workers taken back

The workers’ union at the Asian Paints factory in Sriperumbudur, 40 km from here, said it had begun a strike from Tuesday night, to ensure withdrawal of action against four workers, including dismissal of two.

They also want 62 contract workers taken back, plus an early wage settlement.

“Production has been affected at the facility but we will meet the market demand from our other manufacturing facilities,” said a company official.

According to sources from the All India Central Council of Trade Unions, to which the company union is affiliated, the workers began the strike from the second shift on Tuesday night. Of the 186 in the facility, around 120 are sitting inside the factory. “We have been demanding a wage settlement after the (earlier) three-year one expired in July 2014. The management has put cases on four permanent employees and dismissed two of them,” said T Gunasekaran, a union member.

He also alleged the management terminated around 62 contract workers last month for trying to join the union, appointing another 100 on a contract.

Four rounds of talks have been held on a wage settlement but the company has not agreed to the workers’ demands and hasn't issued a bonus for two years, said the union member.

The facility is currently manufacturing water-based paints in 26 colours, added the workers.