KRISHNAGIRI: Over 1,000 workers of an automobile manufacturing unit in Hosur boycotted work on Sunday, following an announcement by the company that the employees should work this Sunday and take their weekly off on Thursday.
A Dennis, vice president of the employees union of the company told The New Indian Express, “According to the law, workers should get a weekly off after 48 hours on duty (that is after six days). The management informed us on Wednesday that Sunday will be a working day and the weekly off will be postponed to Thursday due to business exigencies. The union accepted the company’s rule of working on Sunday but said that it should be considered as overtime, but it was not accepted by the management.”
“Over 1,000 employees and over 4,000 outsourced workers boycotted production work in Units 1 and 2 and we will go to work on Thursday when the leave was announced.” An official from the company said that they will continue with Thursday as the weekly off.
“Weekly offs can be given in two situations: if they work for six consecutive days, and secondly, if necessary, the company can give weekly offs to workers after 10 consecutive days of work. As we chose the second criterion, in this case, it is not a violation of the law.”