Jayashree Textiles' Bengal unit faces labour disturbances

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Staff Reporter | 27 Dec, 2017
Jayashree Textiles, an Aditya Birla Group company, on Tuesday said its factory at West Bengal's Rishra area in Hooghly district has been faced with "unjustifiable labour disturbances" and the management has dismissed nine workers.

"Over the years, the factory has been faced with unjustifiable labour disturbances, provoked essentially by certain violent elements in the workforce. During the past three years, these disturbances have worsened. The unit faced a flash strike in May this year, accompanied by hooliganism, illegal confinement of managers, destruction of property, violence and arson," the company said in a statement.

The workers had called a strike in May and during the trouble, the HR (Human resource) Head's vehicle was almost overturned and set aflame by riotous mobs and the administration manager was assaulted too, the company said, adding that it had incurred an estimated loss of about Rs 3.9 crore due to the strike.

According to the firm, the genesis of the current issues at the factory could be traced to protest against attendance monitoring through the recently introduced biometric attendance system, management's insistence on shopfloor discipline and the matter of the management staying firm against the union interference with recruitment processes.

Pursuant to the acts of violence and illegal strike, 24 workmen were chargesheeted and suspended pending enquiry. Of them, the suspension pending enquiry was revoked for 15 workers who were found to be not directly instigating violence and trouble, the statement said.

Nine workmen against whom there was "credible evidence of instigation of violence, arson and illegal strike", were placed under suspension pending enquiry.

After conducting an enquiry, the company dismissed them from service on December 1.

"These nine workmen were found guilty of charges of hooliganism, violence, riotous and disorderly behaviour and instigation of illegal strike... the management had no choice but to take such an action," the company said.

The facility, engaged in manufacturing of linen yarn, linen fabrics, worsted yarn and wool tops, provides direct employment to around 5,500 people and around 860 youth were employed in the last two years.

The company invested around Rs 250 crore for the expansion of the factory, it added.