Work halts at MRF's Thiruvottiyur unit as 800 workers go on strike

Around 800 workers at MRF's Thiruvottiyur plant are on an indefinite strike over annual insurance premium payment issues and the hiring of trainees under the NAPS scheme

Around 800 workers at MRF’s Wimco Nagar manufacturing unit in Thiruvottiyur are on an indefinite strike over issues related to annual insurance premium payment and the hiring of trainees under the Centre’s National Apprentice Promotion Scheme (NAPS). The strike has led to a complete stoppage of work at the unit, one of MRF’s oldest facilities.

 

The dispute between the workers and the management began on 11 September after the latter allegedly refused to continue a long-standing practice of paying the annual medical insurance premium up front and allowing workers to repay it in instalments over four to five months, said CITU state president A Soundararajan. CITU has extended support to the strike. The company did not respond to queries from Business Standard. “Now they are refusing to pay a nominal amount of slightly over Rs 1 crore,” he said.

 

“The management is also preferring trainees through NAPS over permanent employees, as they receive subsidies for this. We are in constant talks with the management, but so far, the response has not been positive,” alleged R Jayaraman, a senior CITU leader leading the workers’ protest.