MRF workers strike continue in Chennai

The worker's strike at tyre major MRF Ltd's factory here demanding the removal of CCTV cameras and early settlement of wage revision, continued on Wednesday for the 13th consecutive day.

"The strike has entered 13th day after it began on February 8. The total number of workers in the plant are 1,025 and barring 66, all the others are on strike. Our demand is early conclusion of wage settlement and the removal of CCTVs as it impacts our privacy," C.R. Prabhakaran, General Secretary, MRF Employees Union, told IANS on Wednesday.

Prabhakaran said the plant rolls out tyres for light/heavy and off the road vehicles.

"The per day output of this plant is about Rs 3.5 crore. The average wage per worker in the plant is about Rs 23,000 per month and the take home is some Rs 18,000. On the other hand the average wages of workers in other MRF plants are about Rs 40,000 per month. The last wage settlement was done in 2009," he added.

According to Prabhakaran, the Tiruvottiyur plant is the company's mother plant and the wages here are the lowest.

Queried about the reasons for workers being against the CCTVs, he said: "Tyre production is done in a very hot environment. The workers work as a team and give the required output. Our plant has won the best productivity/quality awards for the last three years amongst other MRF plants.

"Workers would take some rest after hours of hard work. The CCTV cameras are fixed everywhere thereby taking away the privacy.

"We have no objection if the CCTV cameras are fixed at the main entrance, scrap yard and few other places."

MRF notified the bourses about the strike on Tuesday terming the strike as illegal.

The company said the wage settlement issue is with the Industrial Tribunal which had rejected the worker's demand on CCTV cameras.

The tyre maker said efforts were being taken to restore normalcy at the earliest.