Talks inconclusive on Foxconn closure, workers demand entry

CHENNAI: The third round of tripartite talks between the management, union leaders of Foxconn and the assistant labour commissioner of Sriperumbdur remained inconclusive on Monday.
The union leaders were bent on their demand of gaining an entry into the factory premises.
“Workers should be allowed to enter the factory premises but the management said that would not be possible due to security reasons,” president of Foxconn India employees union, E Muthu Kumar, said.
The next round of talks will be held on Tuesday with senior officials from Foxconn expected to participate in the next round of talks.
On their part, officials from Foxconn who were part of the discussion on Monday maintained that “discussions for an amicable solution were still on.”
Senior union officials also stated the management had said that salaries would be given only upto January 31 2015.
Meanwhile, over 200 employees of Foxconn gathered outside the factory premises in the morning to protest over suspension of operations at the facility located in the Nokia SEZ (special economic zone). By afternoon, the numbers had gone up. The local police had to be called to control the situation.
This facility inside the Nokia SEZ employs 1,306 workers of which 265 are women.
Members from all three trade unions, the DMK backed Labour Progressive Front, the AIADMK backed Anna Thozhir Sanga Peravai (ATP) and the official union, which is backed by CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions), participated in the protests on Monday.
Senior union officials told TOI that if talks remain inconclusive on Tuesday, there could be some 'disturbance' in the area. “Plans are afoot to enter the premises forcibly,” said an official.
A Soundararajan, state general secretary of CITU, said that the management was asking workers to stay at home and they would be given salaries. “This amounts to a lockout. The company is looking to circumvent the closure process as they are not sure whether the state government would give them permission to close the facility,” he said.
Foxconn has facilities inside the campus of the Nokia Special Economic Zone as well as in the Sriperumbudur HiTech SEZ.