Workers on strike at Nokia's Chennai plant

A section of employees of telecom equipment maker Nokia Siemens Networks are on strike at its Chennai plant pressing for various demands, including increase in wages.

The employees backed by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions have been on strike since June 7 demanding union recognition, reinstatement of some suspended workers and wage hike, CITU office-bearers said.

While the CITU claimed that about 120 employees were on strike, the company maintained only 60 stayed away from the work.

A company spokesperson said, "We are working with employee representatives to resolve the issue."

According to a Citu official, the company had suspended 72 employees and agreed to reinstate 67 of them after several rounds of talks.

"We are asking for reinstatement of the remaining five employees . . .

," a CITU representative said.

The plant, which manufacture and distribute mobile communications infrastructure, has about 700 employees, including contract workers.

"We are hoping that they would take back the suspended employees. If there is no amicable situation, we will decide on our future course of action by Monday," the union representative said.

The company spokesperson said that management hopes to reach at a positive solution soon.

"We would urge all (employees) to treat this in a rational and measured manner and abide by law and order. “We assure employees of our factory all support. “We will ensure their safety and provide conducive work environment and try to run the factory operations as usual," the spokesperson said.

Nokia Siemens Networks in October 2008 inaugurated the facility at Oragadam with an investment of Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 billion) spread over a three-year period.