Dunlop management has suspended operations at its Sahagunj unit in Hooghly district of West Bengal with effect from Saturday .

In a ‘suspension of work' notice issued on October 7, the company said repeated disruptions by “a section of workers” and law and order problems created by “anti-social elements,” had hampered smooth operations at the factory since its re-opening in November 2009. (Operations at the Sahagunj unit remained suspended for one year from November 2008 to November 2009.)

According to the company, operations were suspended since Saturday in view of the “safety and security of the plant and its employees which have been put under severe jeopardy.”

The period of suspension of operations will be treated as “No work, no pay.”

Salaries

Though production came to a halt in the plant since end 2010, salaries were paid to the 1,000-odd workforce of the unit more or less uninterruptedly till July this year, when workers prevented transfer of raw material from Sahagunj.

The management delayed payment of salaries allegedly as a counter measure.

According to the company, problems resurfaced in August with workers objecting to the transfer of raw material inventory to other tyre units of the company. Attempts at reconciliation, including a meeting with the State Labour Minister in August, bore no results.

Mr Purnendu Basu, West Bengal Labour Minister, said attempts had been made to keep the unit running.

Bengal Govt help

“We had assured the management to help them in all possible ways. But this has not been the case. The State Government will do whatever it can in this regard,” he said.

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