Efforts on to form labour union at Wistron factory

Paid less than what they were promised, workers had gone on a rampage last month

A student body is helping workers at Wistron’s Narasapura factory form a labour union.

The factory, manufacturing iPhones, caught international headlines when workers vandalised it on December 12.

“A majority of its contract labourers were students,” says Srikanth, leader and Kolar taluk president of the Students Federation of India.

He hasn’t interacted with any of the arrested labourers but has spoken to some of their parents and families.

The students, between 18 and 25, hailed from at least five Karnataka districts, and from Telangana. About 20 per cent were from Bengaluru Rural district, he told Metrolife. “That is why SFI decided to intervene,” he explains. SFI is affiliated to the political party CPI(M).

Srikanth was detained and released by the police after the incident. “The contractors didn’t share a good relationship with the labourers, and that led to the commotion,” he says.

What next?

The factory, Srikanth says, is scheduled to reopen on January 15. SFI plans to help the employees start a labour union. “We will stay in touch with the group to understand their working conditions,” says Srikanth. All India Lawyers Union, SFI and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) are offering free legal assistance for workers against whom FIRs are registered.

No response

The labour department in Bengaluru did not respond to calls and emails seeking information on the Wistron case.

What happened

Most of the labourers hired at Wistron are on contract basis. They were hired on a promise of salaries up to Rs 21,000, but were paid only between Rs 5,000 and Rs 8,000. The workers also had to work 12-hour shifts with minimal breaks.