Lost call, total disconnect

Nokia's largest mobile manufacturing unit at Sriperumbudur near Chennai to suspend operations from Saturday.

November 01, 2014 01:37 am | Updated November 16, 2021 04:46 pm IST - CHENNAI

Women employees gather outside a meeting hall close to the unit to sign the final settlement. Photo: M. Moorthy

Women employees gather outside a meeting hall close to the unit to sign the final settlement. Photo: M. Moorthy

P. Rajesh, 29, was waiting for his turn to sign a register agreeing for the final settlement in a meeting hall five km from the Nokia factory at Sriperumbudur. After six years of work at the Finnish company, he says: “I’m not happy but do I have an option?”

On Friday, the Nokia India Thozhilalar Sangam told the remaining 851 employees that they could opt for a severance package of Rs. 6.5 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh, depending on their experience. This decision was reached after a tripartite meeting on Thursday among the union, the management and the Assistant Commissioner of Labour.

The union told the employees who wanted the settlement to sign ‘yes’ in a notebook and those who didn’t want it ‘no’. Almost 80 per cent of the employees agreed for the settlement.

The rest said they would wait for a few more days. Some of them even told the union to hire them on a priority basis in case the company resumed operations.

Rajesh’s friend Moses Satyadas says: “They were all hand in glove [the management and the union]. We are just asking the State government to help us with a job.”

A matter of concern for people like Moses is that even if they get the severance package, the tax deducted will be enormous. Another concern for them is finding jobs as most are aged 28-35. The companies in the Nokia SEZ recruit those who have passed Std. X and Plus-Two. A few hold diplomas. “Most of the MNCs here prefer younger employees with lesser salaries,” laments R Arokiaraj, who has been with Nokia for five years.

On Friday, the Nokia HR Team had sent an SMS to the workers. “As employment has come to end, you don’t have to come to factory from tomorrow. Come only for the severance process. Severance scheme is open from November 3 to 10. Please visit HR office on any of these days to complete F&F process. Submit ID card and locker key.”

1) 800 million handsets manufatured at the plant. 2) 7.2 billion dollars: Nokia was sold to Microsoft last September. 3) At its height, the plant manufactured a million phones every day.

Senthilnathan joined Nokia in 2010 when it was roughly making three lakh handsets a day. There were 11,300 employees who were paid between Rs.3,500 to Rs.11,000 a month. “If you do a rough calculation, each employee assembled 26 phones a day, which means a daily salary of Rs. 290. So we only got Rs.11 per phone. Whereas these phones are sold for several thousands,” he said.

None of the union members was available for comments. “Many of the union leaders who stood by us have all vanished in the last three days,” the employees alleged.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Nokia said: “We can confirm that constructive discussions with union representatives and the Labour Commissioner have resulted in an agreement on a financial package for Chennai factory personnel.”

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