The impasse over functioning of Brandix India Apparel City (BIAC), India’s single largest underwear production unit for exports to the United States, the Europe and other countries, ended on Monday with the striking workers resuming duty following an assurance by the State government to expedite the process for revision of minimum wages.
BIAC, the Indian arm of Brandix Lanka located at the industrial area of Atchutapuram, about 50 km from here, faced labour unrest from April 15 despite it being a Special Economic Zone where trade unions and strikes were prohibited with the workers raising wage revision and other demands.
BIAC CEO V. Raghupathy told The Hindu that they had revived production at all the units in the SEZ. Asked to comment on the demands, he said they would follow the directions from the government as and when they received them. The company is estimated to have suffered a loss of Rs.5 crore a day during the strike period. While the district administration, which held several rounds of talks with the workers and the management, heaved a sigh of relief, CITU leaders alleged that ‘divide and rule’ tactics adopted by the management with the active support of government officials brought pressure on the workers to resume work.
District Collector N. Yuvaraj on Saturday promised that the State government was actively considering their demand to fix the minimum wages at Rs.10,000. On the demand for improving working conditions, he said on his direction, the management had already started the initiative.
The company is said to have suffered a loss of Rs. 5 crore a day during the strike period
