Workers of HUL protest over wages outside head office

Company says talking to unions

Over 200-300 workers of Hindustan Unilever, the country's largest consumer good company, protested outside the headquarters of the firm on Friday over what they said were low wages.

Hindustan Unilever Employees Federation called the protest. The workers were from the Amli and Dapada factories in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and said their wages were not at par with consumer goods companies such as Nestle and Colgate. They also objected to the company's management creating "sponsored unions" with whom it was reaching settlements which were being foisted on the entire workforce.

The workers also wanted roughly 15 of their colleagues who had been given termination orders to be reinstated. In a letter to HUL's executive director, HR, BP Biddappa, the workers said, "Inspite of Hindustan Lever Employees Union being the majority union at Dapada Unit II, violating all norms of collective bargaining the management forced a few workers to become members of Association of Chemical Workers and signed two settlements in the year 2003 and 2007 respectively.

An HUL spokesperson said that the company respected the employees' right to join or not join a legally-recognised trade union, or any other body representing their collective interests. "We have always operated within the framework of local law. At our factories, we are following the due process for discussions with representative unions. Where we have not arrived at a mutually acceptable settlements, there are few issues pending," the spokesperson said.

The protest by workers of the two factories hit production partially, persons in the know said. In January last year, work at the toothpaste factory of Colgate-Palmolive in Goa came to a halt for over two weeks following a workers'strike which was resolved by the state's labour commissioner.