Jaya Shree Textiles unit in West Bengal hit by labour unrest

Jaya Shree Textiles, an Aditya Birla Group company, today said it was facing labour unrest at its Rishra unit in West Bengal for the last few years.
An official of the textiles unit told PTI that although production is continuing, there is an all-pervading atmosphere of uncertainty.
He also claimed there are intelligence inputs from police that lives of two key management executives of the unit were under threat.
Jaya Shree Textiles said in a statement that the genesis of the problems at the factory could be traced to the introduction of biometric attendance system, as well as the management's insistence on shop-floor discipline.

It was also opposed to the union's interference in the recruitment processes at the unit, the company said.
The Rishra facility had provided employment to around 5,500 people directly, and recently invested around Rs 250 crore for expansion, after which an additional 800 people were recruited.

However, the factory had been facing "militant labour unionism which occasionally led to physical assault on the management staff and overturning of the HR head's vehicle", the company said in the statement.
It suffered significant losses and the workers were being coerced into going on strike by specific violent elements in the workforce, and this seemed to be regrettably an ongoing affair, Jaya Shree Textiles said.

The unit faced a flash strike in May this year, accompanied by "hooliganism, illegal confinement of managers, destruction of property, violence and arson", the statement said.
After conducting an inquiry, the management terminated the services of nine workmen, who were found to be directly involved, from December 1. These workers owed their allegiance to different trade unions, except INTTUC.
West Bengal's reputation as a great destination for investment depends on how the culture of productivity and discipline is upheld by all the stakeholders concerned, the company added.