Nokia India Employees Union mulling legal action

CHENNAI: A day after Nokia announced its decision to suspend operations at its facility in Sriperumbudur near here, the employees’ Union is looking at “legal options.”

According to Nokia India Employees Union, there are about 900 employees still working at the factory. Following the Nokia-Microsoft $7.2 billion deal, the voluntary retirement scheme was offered for employees and 5,700 of them opted for it, from the total of 6,600.

Yesterday, Nokia announced that it would suspend handset manufacturing at the Chennai plant from November, due to the termination of services agreement with Microsoft.

Nokia to shut down Chennai plant on November 1

Responding to the company’s decision, Nokia India Thozhilalargal Sangam (Nokia India Employees Union), honorary president and sitting MLA A Soundararajan said: “This is illegal. They have indirectly told us to leave the organization. We are asking them to take care of our future. Some of the employees are working here for several years.”

Nokia India Employees Union is a registered trade body and is backed by CITU.

Asked about further course of action, he said, “The management has issued circular in the factory about suspension of operations at the plant. We decided to hold a meeting last night. But it has been postponed.”

“We will be meeting again later this week and decide. We will pursue legal options. We are also planning to meet the Labour Department,” he told PTI.