RIL workers of Naroda plant in Ahmedabad strike over salaries

AHMEDABAD: Workers at Reliance Industries' Naroda plant in Ahmedabad, that makes Only Vimal range of textiles, struck work from Wednesday evening demanding higher wages. The plant is RIL's first manufacturing facility set up in Dhirubhai Ambani's home state Gujarat in 1966. The striking workers include permanent as well contractual employees.

While the union says 5,000 workers are on strike, company insiders put the number at 3,000, but a company statement says the plant employs not more than 1,900.

Hasmukh Patel, who heads the Reliance Employees' Union, said, the main demand was a 60% hike in wages. This is the third strike at the 45-year-old plant, he said adding, the first was in 1984 (70 days) and second in April, 2011.

A company spokesperson said the management had recently issued circular asking workers to not enter the premises with their cellphones owing to safety issues due to which differences took place. However, the situation went out of control from Wednesday's evening shift.

"We work hard but do not get enough salary. We were not allowed to go outside the plant during recess. Now the company has ordered not to carry mobile phones," said Vikramsinh Rana, a worker at the Naroda facility.

No strike notice was given to the management, the RIL spokesperson said. A statement said the company is in a dialogue with the union leaders to enhance safety of workers on the shop floor and that operations at the Naroda plant are continuing peacefully.