Labour Unrest: Zydus sacks 60 workers at its Moraiya plant

Over 350 workers plan not to report to work from today demanding re-instatement of sacked workers

As the labour trouble at Zydus Cadila's Moraiya plant continues, sources indicate that around 60 workers at the plant were terminated by the company on Wednesday on grounds of inciting unrest at the factory. While workers had reported to work on Wednesday and the plant operations went on as usual, labour sources indicate that over 350 workers would stay away from reporting to work on Thursday demanding a re-instatement of the terminated workers.

"We were let inside the plant today after signing an undertaking that we would work for eight hours and not go outside during the shift. Our mobile phones were also seized by the company. Meanwhile, around 60 workers were called by the management for a meeting. We later learnt (after completing our shift) that these workers were terminated by the company and sent home," claimed a wroker at the plant.

He also added that workers held a meeting at the end of the day and decided to extend solidarity to these terminated workers, who were trying to push the workers' cause.

The company did not wish to comment on the issue.

"Over 350 workers would not report to work on Thursday as a mark of protest. We want the company to re-instate the terminated workers," he informed on grounds of anonymity. Meanwhile, two workers were arrested by the police in the morning from their houses, on grounds that they assaulted the supervisor.

Senior police officials confirmed the development and said, "These two workers have been taken in custody as they had assaulted and threatened the supervisor on Tuesday."

Around 350-360 workers had staged a protest outside the factory gates at Zydus Cadila's Moraiya plant on Tuesday shouting slogans. They were demanding a roll-back of the newly implemented system of commissioning one worker per machine instead of the earlier system of two workers per machine. On its part, Zydus had posted a notice outside the factory gates terming the workers' action as an illegal strike.

There are around 2,000 workers at the Moraiya plant which is an US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved facility. Production from the plant mainly goes to the US markets.