Nokia signs wage pact with union

CHENNAI: On a day when labour strife in Manesar, the auto hub in North India took an ugly turn with a company official getting beaten up by work

ers, here is some positive news on the labour-management relations coming in from the South.

Nokia India signed its first wage revision pact with the ruling DMK’s union in Tamil Nadu, the Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), as a result of which over 5,000 employees of the cellphone maker here will see their salaries go up by Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,300 per month.

It is crucial for Nokia to ensure that its operations run smoothly in Tamil Nadu as its plant at Sriperambadur is now the company’s largest manufacturing facility in the world.

The tripartite agreement reached last week between Nokia workers’ progressive union, affiliated to LPF, and the management before the deputy commissioner of labour, provided for increasing the monthly canteen allowance to Rs 1,000 from Rs 850 and paying a night shift allowance of Rs 20, which will fetch Rs 200 for 10 shifts in a month.

The revision has come as a boon to employees, mainly hailing from nearby rural centres as they will get arrears for the last nine months. Nokia has also agreed to pay a bonus of 8.33 % (one month wage) to employees. The company has set up its largest electronic hardware manufacturing unit on 210.87 acres allotted at Sipcot industrial park, Sriperambadur. The state government has also extended a structured package of assistance to the MNC.