Foxconn mgt, unions to meet to discuss plans on suspension of operations

Firm has informed workers it does not have enough work to operate its Sriperumbudur unit

A meeting between the management of electronics manufacturer Foxconn and the employees'' organisations at its facility in Sriperumbudur is to take place at the Assistant Commissioner of Labour's (ACL) office in Sriperumbudur, almost 40 kilometers away from Chennai, to discuss on the future of employees and other issues. The development comes after the company  informed workers that is planning to suspend operations from December 24, 2014.

According to union sources, the company has informed the workers that it does not have enough work to operate the facility, which is close to the beleaguered Nokia India manufacturing facility, and is planning to suspend operations. Two meetings with the CITU-baced employees union, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-backed Anna Thozhil Sanga Peravai and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-backed Labour Progressive Front (LPF) has been held in the presence of the ACL, without any major results.

"They have told us that the production is down and it is not sustainable for them. But it is still exporting components to other facilities manufacturing Nokia handsets and also have other jobs. The management is meeting the unions in the ACL's office to come to a conclusion on the issue," said a union leader from LPF.

It may be noted that the facility has been in trouble from the tax issues started at Nokia India, which finally suspended operations in its only Indian facility from November 1, this year, following Microsoft terminated the transitional services agreement (TSA) with this facility.