Meeting to re-start Wipro Lighting remains inconclusive

Another meeting on July 24

Mysuru: A meeting with regard to the re-opening of Wipro Lighting at Hootagalli Industrial Area, held in the presence of Assistant Labour Commissioner A.C. Thammanna, representatives of Wipro Lighting administration and the employees, at his office in Kuvempunagar here yesterday, remained inconclusive and another meeting with the Wipro Lighting CEO is scheduled to be held on July 24.

During the meeting, Thammanna instructed the officials to issue summons to the CEO of Wipro Lighting to participate in the meeting and announced that the meeting on July 24, would be held at his office. Advising the Wipro Lighting representatives to understand the problems faced by the employees, Thammanna told them that if they cannot take decision on re-opening the factory, their senior officials would be summoned to the meeting.

Earlier, factory’s HR division’s Gopalakrishna, who spoke, said that in the backdrop of the factory suffering losses, many employees were given the opportunity of voluntary retirement and it had become inevitable to close down the factory as it was suffering loss.

Denying the statements of Gopalakrishna, factory’s labour leaders said that according to the last 10 years Balance Sheet of the factory, the factory which had earned profit for six years had suffered loss for four years and attributed the loss over non-implementation of latest technologies in manufacturing bulbs by the management.

Stating that the lives of the employees would be in dire straits if the factory closes down, the labour leaders sought employment in other factories owned by Wipro. They said that they were ready to develop skills according to the profession and urged the factory management not to close                     down the factory.

When Gopalakrishna and Production Manager Dayanand, who had come as the representatives of the Management, told the Assistant Labour Commissioner that they cannot take decisions on re-opening the factory, Thammanna who expressed his anger, told them to bring the officials who can take decisions besides asking them not to act just like postmen.

The labour leaders also complained that though the management had deposited bonus and compensation amount to the employees’ accounts, the Banks were not allowing them to withdraw the money as the employees had taken loans.

Thammanna instructed the representatives of the factory Management to instruct the Bank through the factory to allow the employees to withdraw money so that it would be of timely help to them.

AITUC District Committee President Basavaraju, Secretary Ramu, Wipro Factory Employees Union President Somaraje Urs and others were present.