The resumption of operations at Dunlop India’s mother unit at Sahagunj in West Bengal now hinges on taking back 25 employees who were charge-sheeted in December 2008. The services of 13 of these workers have already been terminated.
The tripartite meeting called on November 13 at the Secretariat to resolve this issue failed to achieve much with the INTUC union walking out of the meeting, saying that they demanded ‘taking back of all the 25 employees’ Ranjit Neogi of INTUC said.
West Bengal Labour Minister Anadi Sahu said that the State Government would like the promoters to re-open the unit by December 1. The company says that it is as keen to resume operations at its main unit but taking back employees against whom disciplinary action has been taken would raise serious issues of governance.
“Action was taken against these employees for indiscipline, hooliganism and also for assaulting the personnel manager of the unit,” a company source said. To a query as to whether all the procedures were followed, an official spokesperson said: “All mandatory procedures as advised by the lawyers of the company were followed.”
