It was just another day for Chandrashekar, Prajwal Urs and 84 other permanent employees of the Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting — a division of Wipro Enterprises — when they reported for work on Monday. Little did they know that by evening, their world would come crashing down as the management had decided to shut down the lighting division — which was engaged in the manufacture of CFL bulbs — and close the unit permanently in view of mounting losses.
“Having completed the work for the day, the employees were preparing to leave when we were asked not to report for duty with effect from Tuesday and told that the settlement would be finalised,” said Mr. Chandrashekar, an employee.
It was not that the employees were unaware of the development as the company had offered voluntary retirement scheme last year. 50 of them had opted for it. Besides, the company had served the notice of closure in accordance with the law of the Government of Karnataka on May 2, 2017, but the employees remained hopeful of finding a solution.
“There are other consumer product divisions of Wipro and we had appealed to them to absorb the work force in any other establishment but our plea fell on deaf ears,” said Mr. Chandrashekar who has put in nearly 15 years in the company.
Other workers
Like him, the remaining 84 permanent staff are on a strike in front of the factory unit whose gates have been closed. Security was present inside to ward off any untoward incidents. Besides the permanent staff, the unit had about 60 contract workers too and all of them were relieved of their services with effect from the closing hours of the factory on Monday. Meanwhile, the workers who are affiliated to the INTUC and other trade union organisations, have sought an appointment with the government to seek a way out of the imbroglio.
Trade union leader and CPI(M) activist Jayaram said that there was an increase in closure of plants and factory units mainly because of the weakening of the labour laws. “The Governments – both at the Centre and the State – have tweaked the law to facilitate the closure of factories at the whim of the management and there is nobody to address the grievances of the workers,” he said. The closure of Wipro lighting unit and a few other private units will be taken up by the trade unions. A meeting has been convened to address the issue shortly, Mr. Jayaram added.
Given the results of such intervention in the past however, the last such initiative being efforts to restart the Falcon Tyres, the workers have a long and protracted struggle ahead and are staring at an uncertain future.
