One of India’s oldest tyre makers and its workers are fighting over CCTV cameras

• The protest is into its 13th day at MRF’s factory in the outskirts of Chennai.
  
• Workers demand removal of CCTV cameras from the production areas aside from a wage hike.
  
• The company has defended its decision to have cameras and called the strike ‘illegal’.

Workers’ strikes are not new anywhere in the world, but this one has a one-of-a-kind reason.

MRF Limited’s factory in the outskirts of Chennai has been shut for 13 days now as the workers demand a wage hike and the removal of closed circuit television cameras (CCTV).

The total number of workers in the plant are 1,025 and barring 66, all the others are on strike.

“Our demand is early conclusion of wage settlement and the removal of CCTVs as it impacts our privacy," C.R. Prabhakaran, General Secretary, MRF Employees Union, told IANS on Wednesday.

"Tyre production is done in a very hot environment… Workers would take some rest after hours of hard work. The CCTV cameras are fixed everywhere thereby taking away the privacy. We have no objection if the CCTV cameras are fixed at the main entrance, scrap yard and few other places," Prabhakaran explained.

While MRF has said that the wage negotiations are still inconclusive, it has certainly defended the installation of CCTV cameras in the production areas. “The strike is illegal and the notice of the strike, including reasons for the same, have not been served on the company,” a statement issued to the stock exchanges said.

It may also be noted that installation of CCTV cameras is a requirement under the prevailing laws in Tamil Nadu.

MRF is one of the country’s oldest tyre maker incorporated in 1961. The company’s origins can be traced back to 1946.