Section of employees in Ashok Leyland Unit-1 in Hosur observes token fast

Bangalore, January 4, 2013: Around 150 employees of Ashok Leyland Unit-1 in Hosur industrial town near Bangalore observed a one-day token fast on Thursday (January 3), pressing the company management to fulfill their various demands.

The commercial vehicle major has two manufacturing units in Hosur, a bordering town of Tamil Nadu. A section of workers attached to Thozhilalar Nala Mandram (a labour welfare union) observed a fast, requesting the management to conduct labour union election in Unit-2 in Hosur and its production plant at Ennore in Chennai.

The workers have also protested against the company appointing contract workers instead of hiring the wards of the company’s current and former employees. Among other demands, the protestors urged the company to retain 70 minutes per day as break time out of the total work time of 480 minutes.

Thozilalar Nala Mandram (TNM) organising president S Ramkumar, who led the agitation, said the company has around 1,600 permanent employees and 1,000 contract labour. Instead of appointing contract workers, it should hire the wards of employees and local unemployed youths.

According to sources in the company, the production in the factory was not hit due to the section of workers staging agitation in front of the unit premises on Thursday.

Ashok Leyland’s Unit-1 in Hosur was established in 1980 and spread over 103 acres, of which 40 acres are built-up. Primarily, the facility manufactures engines for the company’s commercial vehicles. Apart from a variety of diesel and CNG engines, the plant also manufactures and assembles heavy duty and special vehicles, axles, gearboxes and marine gearboxes.

JAISHANKAR JAYARAMIAH