Bajaj auto unions demand factory arrest after 250 workers contract coronavirus

NEW DELHI / MUMBAI (Reuters) – Workers at Bajaj Auto, India’s largest motorcycle exporter, demand the temporary closure of one of its plants after 250 employees tested positive for coronavirus, their unions said Saturday, as the companies struggle to increase. operations

India went into a total blockade in late March to curb the spread of the virus, but has recently eased the restrictions despite the increasing number of cases, putting some companies in a difficult position as they try to revive production.

The Bajaj Auto (BAJA.NS) The affected factory is located in western Maharashtra, the state with the highest number of cases of COVID-19, the disease that causes the virus. The company said in a letter to employees this week that those who do not report to work will not be paid.

“People are afraid to come to work. Some are still arriving but others are leaving, ”said Thengade Bajirao, president of the Bajaj Auto Workers Union.

The company said on June 26 that 140 of the approximately 8,000 factory employees had contracted the virus and two had died.

However, he said work there would not stop, as the company wanted to learn to “live with the virus.”

An official in the Aurangabad district, which oversees the Waluj area where the plant is located, said the number of cases had increased to more than 250.

Bajaj Auto did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

On Saturday, India reported a record number of more than 22,000 daily cases of infection, bringing the national total to more than 640,000.

“We asked the company to temporarily close the plant for 10-15 days to break the cycle, but they said it doesn’t make sense as people will continue to meet for social events outside of work,” said Bajirao of the Bajaj union.

For every positive employee, four who work near them should be quarantined, which affects productivity, he said.

With an annual production capacity of more than 3.3 million motorcycles and other vehicles, the Waluj plant represents more than 50% of Bajaj’s manufacturing volume in India.

“If an employee remains absent from the office or plant for any reason despite the company requesting it … then their salary will be deducted 100% during the period,” Bajaj said in the letter to the employees.

In May, Chinese smartphone maker OPPO briefly suspended operations at a plant near New Delhi after some workers tested positive.

Union workers and leaders say Bajaj has taken steps to ensure social distancing on the factory floor and in its cafeteria, in addition to organizing separate seats on their buses and providing masks and disinfectants for staff. But they say this is not enough.

“On the assembly line, several people touch the same engine. We were wearing gloves but we still spread the virus, ”said a worker who was in the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19.