Royal Enfield workers end stir at Chennai plant on Saturday; production loss pegged around 3,000 units

While the Eicher Motors-owned brand has refused to provide details about the loss of production on account of the strike, sources say the niche bike brand suffered a production loss of at least 3,000 units.

“A valiant strike by Royal Enfield workers has come to an end after the management went on an offensive against striking workers. As the workers struck work through the week, the management has issued transfer orders to five more workers and has dismissed more than 40 trainees,” said a statement from the union.

The union decided to send the workers back to work as it considers further strategies. Workers and trainees reported for work this morning and have signed a ‘good conduct’ form as demanded by the management. Those workers and trainees, who have been given transfers and dismissal orders, have not been allowed inside, according to R Sampath, Vice-President, Royal Enfield Employees Union.

Royal Enfield workers were demanding regularisation of all workers who complete 480 days of work, besides revoking all transfer orders.

Workers are also asking for a provision of bonus for everyone working for more than a month. Another demand of the workers is that trainees employed through National Employability Enhancement Mission (NEEM), an initiative by the Government of India, should not be given work suitable for permanent employees.

The union at Royal Enfield's Oragadam plant in a statement on February 19 said the factory employs 5,559 workers, including 1,059 permanent workers, 2,000 contract workers, 1,000 trainees and 1,500 trainees employed through NEEM.

The union claims that the company’s management refused to attend a meeting called by the labour department, which had shifted the planned conciliation date from February 26 to February 22.

The strike coincided with production ramp-up plans of Royal Enfield for its most celebrated recent launches -- Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 -- both of which were launched in November.

This is not the first time that Royal Enfield saw worker unrest at its factory. In September last year, a large section of the Oragadam plant workers resorted to strike that lasted 50 days and resulted in a production loss of 30,000 units.

Production of the 650 twin bikes was to be raised to 5,000 units a month by March-end as against around 2,500 units at present. Waiting period on both the bikes has stretched to six months.