CHENNAI: The Aam Admi Party (AAP) staged a one-day protest on Friday against what they termed as ‘unfair labour practices’ by the car manufacturer RenaultNissan at their factory in Oragadam, where around 100 shop floor workers were laid off in the past two months, after their contract period was over.
According to a party member, the workers, all aged between 22-25, were terminated without prior notice after completion of their three- year training period. “They were recruited on verbal promise that they would be confirmed after the training period but were asked to leave citing a slowdown in manufacturing,” the party member said.
According to one of the protestors, who was laid-off, the salary for a confirmed shop-floor technician was Rs 14,000 more than that of a trainee and the company had laid them off to avoid payment. “We were not given the notice period. Few of us came to know of the termination when the access-cards at the company gate did not work,” he said.
The workers had petitioned Chief Minister’s cell in August after 53 employees were laid-off because of which the company had then confirmed few workers at the factory site, offering them a salary lower than that promised, the worker said.
Members of the AAP alleged that the company had refused to discuss the issue with them, when contacted. “We want the workers to be reinstated,” a party member said.
Officials of Renault Nissan refused to comment when Express contacted them.
However, a source said that the workers had been terminated at the end of their contract period.
A protesting worker told Express that they did not have a written commitment from the company about their confirmation. “It was only a verbal agreement,” he said.