BPL workers strike work

BANGALORE, Nov 20: Production at BPL group of companies in Karnataka has come to a standstill due to an indefinite strike by 3,000 of worker...

BANGALORE, Nov 20: Production at BPL group of companies in Karnataka has come to a standstill due to an indefinite strike by 3,000 of workers the company. However, workers from its manufacturing facilities in Kerala have restrained from the strike.

Top officials in BPL group of companies Karmikara Sangha claim that police on Friday arrested around 150 employees of BPL Automation located at Bommanahally when they started strike. With more than 3,000 employees, the group has 10 production facilities in the state.

BPL Karmikara Sangha officials said: “To maintain the production, the group management is trying to bring casual workers in company uniforms during the time of strike which is illegal.”

Officials demanded that the group should absorb the trainees working in different BPL units after their probation period. “In fact the group policy of terminating employees after two years of training and one-year of probation is against the labour law,” they added.

Nearly 3,000 employees had started anindefinite strike from Thursday over various of their demands being unfulfilled by the BPL management. The strike threat which was hanging on the management over the past few weeks began on Thursday when talks between the management and union broke down.

Officials said even after sending nine show-cause notices to BPL group of companies, serious discussions between the labour department and management were not forthcoming. When contacted, BPL Ltd officials refused to comment on the issue.