Asian Paints TN plant workers go on strike

Asian Paints on Wednesday said operations at its plant at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu are affected due to “cessation of work” by a section of employees.

“The operations at the company’s paint plant situated at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, are affected due to the cessation of work by the operators belonging to Asian Paints Employees Union since last night,” the company said in a filing to BSE. The Asian Paints Employees Union said workers went on flash strike after the company dismissed two employees on Tuesday.

The company, however, said that “the markets will be continued to be serviced from other manufacturing facilities”. According to Asian Paints Employees Union sources, the Sriperumbudur plant employs about 250 people and was manufacturing five lakh litres of paints a day. It serves four southern states. “About six months back the company suspended four of our colleagues. But yesterday morning two of them were dismissed. Several round of talks were held between the management and employees to reinstate the employees and for increasing the wage. But, there has been no progress,” Asian Paints Employees Union President V Rajesh said. On the flash strike by employees, he said, “about 100 persons are protesting outside the factory while another 100 persons have resorted to sit-in-strike inside the factory since last night.” On discussions that were held between the Union and the management, he said, “the fifth round of talks in the presence of Assistant Commissioner of Labour (Sriperumbudur) was held on April 24. But it remained inconclusive.”.

According to company sources, Asian Paints currently has manufacturing facilities in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra apart from the Sriperumbudur facility. Sriperumbudur is home to several manufacturing facilities of top multinational 

corporations and has witnessed several labour unrests in the past.