Dunlop Bengal unit re-opens

Tyre maker Dunlop India today re-opened its Shahagunj plant in Hooghly district of West Bengal with 840 employees reporting for duty. However, 25 suspended workers were barred from joining.

Company officials said preliminary work to resume production had started and the initial production would be 40 tonnes of Off The Road (OTR) tyres per day.

Production at the plant was suspended on November 30 last year after a section of the workers opposed the management’s proposal for a temporary shutdown.

A Dunlop spokesperson said of the 1039 employees, who were expected to join, 840 turned up by 7 AM.

"We have not allowed the 25 suspended workers to join and neither did they prevent others to enter. We are keeping a close watch on the situation in the factory compound," the spokesperson said.

The company's decision not to induct the 25 workers suspended during the closure was conveyed by the management on November 13 at a meeting at the state secretariat, the spokesperson said.

The plant had re-opened on March 6. But it only recorded routine maintenance with 229 workers and production could not resume as the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company refused to restore power supply.

The power was finally restored on November 9 after the company issued a bank guarantee of Rs 1.61 crore in favour of the power utility and abide by the terms.

The Ambattur plant of the company has started production since October 19.

Meanwhile, a report from Hooghly quoted union sources as saying that altogether 928 employees had reported for work till now, while the 25 chargesheeted workers, supported by the Dunlop Bachao Nagarik Manch, sat before the factory gate threatening to launch an indefinite fast from today if they were not allowed to join.

While welcoming the reopening of the Sahagunj plant, CITU unit General Secretary Dipankar Roy demanded immediate resumption of production.