Nokia India employees strike against suspensions

Chennai, Jan 21: Nokia employees, who have launched a strike against the suspension of 55 employees, refused to go back to work even after a conciliatory meeting at the labour commissioner's office on Wednesday, Jan 20.

"The strike started Tuesday, Jan 19 after the management suspended 35 employees. On Wednesday, another 20 employees were suspended," an official of the Nokia India Employees Progressive Union is quoted as saying in a news agency report.

On Wednesday, Jan 20, the labour commissioner issued an advisory to the union to resume work on Thursday, Jan 21 apart from directing the management to sort out the row by Monday, Jan 25.

The strike started off over the transfer of an employee from one job to another.

"The human resource manager was curt and threatened us with suspension orders when we met him in connection with the shift change," said a union official.

With a capability to produce 500,000 mobile phones a day, Nokia India plant has the highest productivity among all plants across the world.

OneIndia News