Production at mobile handset company Nokia’s factory at Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, was stopped after around 2,000 workers went on a flash strike Wednesday evening. Representatives of the Nokia India Employees Progressive Union (NIEPU) claimed the company had suspended 62 employees without giving any reason.
According to NIEPU, an affiliate of the Labour Progressive Federation and the labour wing of the ruling DMK, the problem began when a worker was asked to report for a different shift, which he refused to do. This led to his suspension. Some more workers then protested the management’s move and they were also suspended.
The representatives further claimed that nearly 2,000 workers then went on strike. In an official statement, Nokia said: “Nokia initiated a suspension, pending inquiry notice, to some employees who are reported to have committed acts of serious misconduct.”