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Dunlop Ambattur workers want wage dues cleared first

R. Balaji

CHENNAI, May 1

THE workers' union at Dunlop's Ambattur factory has decided not to go along with any proposal to recommence operations without arrears of wages being cleared first.

According to Dunlop Factory Employees' Union (DFEU) sources, the management is considering recommencing operations. But it would have to disburse wages before commencing production, they said.

The workers had fully cooperated with the management last year when it recommenced production after a two-year lockout. The holding operation was a stop-gap arrangement pending finalisation of the draft rehabilitation scheme. However, there had been cont inued delay in implementing the rehabilitation scheme, and even the base-level production under the holding operation had petered out. Further, the management again owed workers about 4-5 months' wages, the sources said.

The management, they said, had also not kept its end of the bargain finalised with the union before recommencing operations last year, sources said.

It had undertaken to make payments to workers promptly, but now owed them wages for more than four months. The monthly meetings between the management and workers had also not taken place, the sources said.

They also expressed concern over the exit of senior management officials who had played a key role in the holding operations.