Lockout at HUL146;s unit in Assam

A press release issued by the company on Sunday said: 8220;They the workmen have repeatedly brought to a halt all production activities. They launched an illegal strike on July 6 and illegally detained and held captive 18 members of the management, including a lady officer, in the factory for nearly 16 hours without food and drinking water till armed police and CRPF jawans rescued them.8221;

There have been several flash strikes and work boycott since April 2004 in the factory. 8220;In spite of these illegal actions, the management, with a view to reach an amicable understanding with the workers initiated a bilateral dialogue. The efforts of the management did not bear any fruit as the workmen led by their union continued to fester trouble and disrupt the working of the factory culminating in the illegal strike on July 6 without any prior notice,8221; the release said.

The company, meanwhile, has placed eight office-bearers and members of workers8217; union under suspension. The eight have been arrested following an FIR filed by the company for alleged illegal confinement of some officers on July 6. All the eight people are on bail.

The HUL factory set up in 2001 employs over 700 persons, and provides indirect employment to about 3,000 others. With an annual output of over 30,000 metric tonnes per annum, the Doomdooma unit alone accounts for about 35 per cent of the HUL8217;s total personal products production in the entire country.