Asian Paints workers calls off strike

Settlement has been arrived at includes agreement by employees that they would meet target of 165 bags of raw material each containing 1,000 kg per shift

The workers of Asian Paints' Sriperumbudur plant has called off the strike and resumed work from today, after 124 days of strike.

A union member said that while the strike has been called off and a settlement has been arrived at, the union would be moving legally demanding their salary for the last 124 days along with the salary portion allegedly deducted earlier by the management for not meeting the targets.

Asian Paints Ltd today informed the Bombay Stock Exchange, "The Asian Paints Employees Union, Sriperumbudur and workmen have ended the strike and resumed work from April 23, 2014".

The company, on December 20, 2013, informed the Exchange that the the operation of the Company's plant situated at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu shall be affected due to the strike called by Asian Paints Employees Union, Sriperumbudur and workmen with effect from December 20, 2013.

According to sources from the Asian Paints Employees Union, affiliated to All India Central Council of Trade Unions - a central trade union federation, the settlement has been arrived at includes an agreement by the employees that they would meet a target of 165 bags of raw material each containing 1,000 kg, per shift. The employees have to load 165 such bags per shift into the silo, a huge container in which the raw material has to be stored.

"However, as per the talks, we have to approach the court for the wages and we will be doing that," said T Gunasekar, a member of the union. The facility has around 183 permanent workers, he added.