Foxconn workers to conduct hunger strike in Chennai on January 23

The eight round of tripartite discussion is expected to happen on Jaunary 27, says union leader

Foxconn workers are planning to conduct a hunger strike in Chennai on January 23 raising the workers' concerns over the suspension of operations by Foxconn India, in its Sriperumbudur facility, said the workers' union.

The workers, along with the members of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-backed Labour Progressive Front (LPF) and others, today conducted a protest march to the District Collector's office in Kancheepuram, raising its protest on the alleged neglect of the administration on the ongoing labour issue in Foxconn India. The workers has submitted a memorandum to the Collector seeking intervention in the issue.

E Muthukumar, president of Foxconn India Employees Union said that over 1,000 workers participated in the protest today morning. He said that the representatives of the workers has met the District Collector and submitted a memorandum requesting the collector's intervention stating that the company has been violating the advise of the labour officials, the labour officials has not been taking action even though the company violated its advise even as the police is arresting the workers who try to enter the facility.

As part of strengthening the protest, the workers are planning to conduct a hunger strike in Chennai on January 23, near Chepauk stadium. With seven rounds of tripartite talks between the company, the workers and the labour department officials failed to elicit any development, the next round of discussions are slated to happen on January 27, 2015, in front of the Deputy Labour Commissioner in Chennai.

The union has been alleging that despite the labour department officials repeatedly warned the company against keeping the factory closed without prior approval from the government, the company has not been allowing the workers to enter the facility, in the Nokia manufacturing area in Sriperumbudur.

Foxconn India, an electronic component manufacturer has been supplying to Nokia India facility in Sriperumbudur and has stopped production from December 22, stating that it does not have enough order to run the facility. It also informed the workers that the company is ready to offer a voluntary retirement scheme or a severance package to the employees, which the workers' union did not agreed with so far.

"While the labour department has been saying that they will take action against the company for not allowing workers inside, nothing has been seen in action. Meanwhile we have been arrested several times for attempting to enter the factory premises. If an action is taken, it should be on both the side, not only on us," he said.

The company, earlier in a notice displayed at the boundary of the facility, said, "We are not able to give jobs to all the workers, since we don't have orders to give jobs. Since the management has declared a holiday for the factory, workers are asked not to come to the factory." It added the company is trying to find a solution through a dialogue and till that time the workers has to be patient and extend full co-operation.

It said that the action is being taken due to a change in that facility's customer base and a related change in the manufacturing requirements of our customers in India. The company is working with the government and the relevant labor unions to ensure that this action is carried out in a manner that follows all relevant laws and regulations and is fair to the approximately 1,700 employees who will be affected by this move, it added.

FIH India Pvt Ltd, formerly known as Foxconn India Private Limited, in fact stopped operations at its factory at the Nokia Sriperumbudur SEZ near Chennai, two days before the announced date of December 24, triggering fears of massive lay-offs among workers.

One of Foxconn's key customer was Nokia, which suspended operations from November. Nokia's plant, which employed around 8,000 workers directly and another 21,000 indirectly, had to shut its plant following a tax dispute that prevented its transfer to Microsoft which bought the Finnish company's handset business early this year.