Trainees mull legal action against Renault-Nissan on dismissal

A section of trainees at Renault Nissan Automobile India factory are mulling legal action against management's decision to dismiss them.
The joint-venture of France based Renault and Japanese automaker Nissan has invested Rs 4,500 crore for setting up the manufacturing facility at Oragadam, 45 km from here. The factory employs about 8,000 people.
Recently, citing poor performance, the management dismissed 163 trainees after getting back their respective identity cards, one of the dismissed employee said.
"We were working in the factory as usual. But one day, Human Resource official called us around 3 pm and asked us to leave on that day since we have been terminated from service," one of the trainees, who did not want to be named, told PTI.

He alleged that the trainees were directed to surrender their ID cards so that they would be eligible for receiving the salary or if they fail to do so, they would not be entitled even for that.
He said the company's policy was to appoint people as Trainees, Trainee-Intermediate, Trainee-Advanced, before making them 'Technician'.

"Before becoming a Technician, the employees will be called as trainee even if they have worked for three years at the factory," he said.
Asked on further course of action, he said: "We conducted hunger strike in the city demanding reinstatement of the trainees. We were supported by Aam Aadmi Party, Tamil Nadu and along with their help we will take up legal action."

AAP Tamil Nadu Media Coordinator, Sandhya said: "We staged the hunger strike against the management. We are planning to take up the issue again with them. If there is no satisfactory response from the management, we will take legal steps."
Another trainee said: "There is no Union or any thing like that in the plant. Only AAP came forward to support us. We will go by whatever decision they take."
When contacted, Nissan spokesperson declined to comment.