Jaya Shree Textiles, an Aditya Birla Group entity, said it is open to negotiations to resolve the stalemate caused by the recent lockout at the group’s only linen producing facility.
Operating as a division under Grasim Industries, the unit employs about 5,700 persons, including contractual workers, and had recently invested ₹250 crore on a new linen-production line. This entailed employment for 820 people.
“We are open to negotiations and are in touch with the State government,” said Satyaki Ghosh, CEO, Domestic Textile and Thai Acrylic Fibre of the group and in charge of Jaya Shree Textiles.
According to the June 25 lockout notice, the decision followed an attack on a supervisor at the unit. The management suspended five workers, which led to an “illegal strike” causing a loss of ₹25 crore so far, the notice said. The lockout followed breakdown of bipartite and tripartite talks. The management subsequently offered to dilute the suspension-order against three workmen.
‘Unions belligerent’
According to the notice, although the management wanted to discuss a proposed productivity-linked five-year wage pact (the current three-year one expires in July), the unions adopted a “belligerent” stand asking for reinstatement of workers dismissed in 2017 (for ransacking company property and injuring staff). All the eight operating trade unions declined to discuss the pact.
The 1948 vintage Rishra unit has been spinning linen yarn and fabric since 1998. This is the first lockout.