Suzlon announces lock out

The unexpected lock out of Suzlon Company Energy Limited at Padubidri came as a surprise for the staff who came to work on Tuesday morning.

The company, which works in Padubidri, has alleged that the loss and also GST implications were reasons for its decision on lock out. There are more than 600 workers employed at the firm. However, the company's decision to stop functioning was a shock to the employees as they were kept in the dark. The notice was issued at around 3 am, where the Company put up a notice announcing its decision to shut down.

Following the decision, nearly 600 employees, of whom 326 employees worked on a regular basis and the remaining were on contract, were left traumatised.

Earlier, the company had thrown out more than 700 employees however, following stringent protest and agitation, the company decided to take back nearly 200 employees. The company had taken the decision on lock out under the Industrial Disputes Act of 1947, Section 22 and Sub-section 2.

The notice served will come into force from November 29. Besides, all the activities are stopped November 14 onwards as per the notice instructions.

SEZ area

The company was set up at the Special Economic Zone, which is the unit of energy manufacturing company Aspon Infrastructure Limited. Suzlon was initially set up for producing wind machinery.

The other reason cited by the company for the decision is the reluctance of the labourers to cooperate and also illegal activities of the labourers. The notice is signed by the Suzlon plant head Dakshinamurthy.

The company had already sent the night duty labourers out on Monday as a preparatory measure. The answer to the labourers' question was that the night activity at the company is stopped to save power.

Following the lock out announced by the firm, the labourers staged a protest rally.

DC holds meeting

In the meantime, Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis, along with the superintendent of police, Labour Department officials and also the local political leaders, held a meeting to discuss the issue.

Francis took the company to task for taking the groundless decision and making the labourers deprived of their livelihood. She has also warned to take back 641.95 acre of land offered to the company through KIADB. She said, "It is unethical to announce the decision to lock out."

Speaking to media persons, she said that the company should have issued a prior notice. "Labour Department deputy commissioner from Shivamogga will take up further inquiry into the issue. The company also is under SEZ and hence the SEZ development commissioner from Kochi has been contacted, who in turn would send a team in another two days for the verification of the incident," said Francis.

She said the company should have given 14 days' notice to the labourers.

'Injustice'

Manjunath Thorlekar, a worker in the company told media persons that it is total injustice.

Chethan said that the workers never deceived the company as alleged. "The CCTV footages are proof for our hard work. The labourers never sold blades that were manufactured at the site," he added.