The Madras High Court on Monday said it was imperative on the part of the State government to supervise private establishments, such as automobile and tyre industries which had been exempted from the lockdown, and make sure that they follow all COVID-19 safety protocols.
Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said the supervision could be undertaken either by the officials from the Directorate of Industrial Safety or some other appropriate government authority.
The court felt such supervision would help in the workmen not being forced to work in conditions that may put their health in danger.
The interim order was passed on a writ petition filed by workmen of the Renault-Nissan vehicle manufacturing facility at Oragadam and Wipro Infrastructure Engineering at Irungattukottai near here against the exemption granted by the State government to automobile and allied industries from the ongoing lockdown to fight COVID-19.
In the petitions filed through their counsel, Maithreyi Canthaswamy Sharma, the workmen had contended that automobile and allied industries need not have been categorised as continuous process units and granted exemption from the lockdown. Appearing for them, senior counsel V. Prakash contended that making automobiles was not an essential activity.
However, a senior counsel representing Renault Nissan, told the court that the company scrupulously follows all COVID-19 protocols and that it regularly sanitises the plant as well as the buses used to transport the staff. He said employees above 45 years of age were vaccinated and that it was ready to vaccinate others too if the State Government supplies the required doses.
However, Mr. Prakash claimed that the COVID-19 protocol was not being followed religiously and pointed out that employees of Hyundai had walked out of the plant on Monday. He also claimed that Renault Nissan had reduced three shifts into two shifts and this move had led to many people working in a shift and thereby put under the risk of contracting COVID-19.
Pointing out that honouring export commitments was shown as a reason to obtain exemption from the lockdown, the senior counsel said Renault Nissan must prove to the court whether the production had been restricted to exports alone. Finding force in his submission, the judges directed the management to submit the details by May 31.
In the meantime, the State Government was also directed to file it's affidavit on the issue.
