Madras High Court has directed Renault-Nissan to go an inspection by the government officials. The inspection will happen today to check if Renault-Nissan is following the COVID-19 related protocols and is taking safety precautions for its workers. The Madras High Court stepped in after a few workers went on strike yesterday.

The factory workers who started the strike said that a few workers have died because of the COVID-19 related complications. The employees have been demanding stricter safety norms in the plant that was operating in three shifts due to the unprecedented demand for the Renault Kiger and the Nissan Magnite, which are manufactured in this plant.

The workers filed a complaint in court and informed that social distancing in the plant can be possible only if a gap is maintained between two vehicles in the assembly line. At a time, three to four men need to work on a car instead of the current set-up that has six to eight men working on a single car in the assembly line.

The workers have demanded that the Renault-Nissan plant authorities should take corrective measures immediately and social distancing rules should be maintained. Other demands from the workers include rehabilitation of the families of the workers who have died because of COVID-19 and medical treatment of the workers who are ailing from the infection.

Renault-Nissan shut the operation on 26th May and released a statement,

“We are currently reviewing our current safety protocols, and future safety measures, and continue to close and constructive dialogue with the union representatives so that, together, we can ensure the highest standards of safety are in place for when the plant resumes operations,”

Waiting period for Kiger and Magnite to rise?

Both Renault Kiger and the Nissan Magnite have become very popular in the market. Renault-Nissan is currently producing cars in three shifts at the plant. Both the cars share the same platform and a lot of components. Also, they are powered by the same engine options and get the same transmission options as well. However, Renault offers an additional transmission option – Automated Manual Transmission or AMT with the Kiger, which Nissan does not offer.

Both the cars are powered by the same engine options. There are two petrol engine options available for both cars. There is a naturally-aspirated three-cylinder engine option that generates a maximum power of 72 PS and a peak torque of 96 Nm. The more powerful engine option is the 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that generates a maximum power of 100 PS and peak torque of 160 Nm. This engine option is also available with CVT and it generates a maximum of 152 Nm with that transmission option.

Both the cars are also similarly equipped when it comes to the features too. The Magnite gets an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a 6-speaker system from JBL, a 360-degree camera, and more. There are additional packs that add features like air purifier, wireless charger, puddle lamps and more.