Apollo locks workers out of Kalamassery plant

ERJ staff report (DS)

Gurgaon, Haryana, Idia -- Apollo Tyres has locked workers out of the PTL plant in Kalamassery, southern India. The plant is owned by PTL Enterprises, but is on long-term lease to Apollo, for its entire output. Prior to the lock-out, APollo removed all finished tyres from the plant, in preparation for onward shipping.

Employing 1100 workmen, this manufacturing facility produces 87 metric tones of cross ply light truck, truck-bus and farm tyres for Apollo Tyres Ltd. A majority of this production is earmarked for Apollo's export markets.

Apollo said, "For the past few months workmen have been resisting management efforts to increase efficiency and bring down costs. On Thursday, December 4, workmen at the Banbury, Curing and Mould Fitting sections of the plant suddenly stopped work and refused to complete the production quote of the day, affecting work downstream and the day's production. On Friday, December 5, workmen stopped trucks loaded with tyres from leaving the factory premises. " As a result, said Apollo, it had to resort to declaring a lockout on the early morning of December 6, "to prevent any untoward situation."