DEAL TIME

Calcutta, Dec. 18 (PTI): The agreement between the workers’ unions of Dunlop India and the new owner of the company, Pawan Kumar Ruia, may be signed by December 31. A major headway in negotiations between the workers of Dunlop India and the new management has been reached paving the way for an early re-opening of the company’s two closed plants at Shahgunj in Bengal and Ambattur in Tamil Nadu.

“We have made a major headway in negotiations with the workers’ unions and we hope to finalise an agreement with them by December 31,” Ruia said here today.

He said that an agreement with the workers’ unions has been one of the most important issues to be sorted out before the two plants of the company at Shahgunj in Bengal and Ambattur in Tamil Nadu could be reopened.

Earlier this month, Ruia had bought the entire tyre business of the Chhabria family-controlled Jumbo Group, including the sick Dunlop India, and had immediately initiated talks with the Citu-affiliated Dunlop Workers’ Union and Dunlop Rubber Factory Labour Union of Intuc at the Shahgunj plant which employs nearly 2600 workers.

Talks with the workers’ union at Ambattur plant is also in an advanced stage and Ruia expressed confidence that an agreement would be finalised very soon.

Responding to a query he said once the agreement with the workers was in place the process of re-opening the two plants would definitely be expedited.

Ruia had earlier announced that the Ambattur plant would be re-opened in six months and the Shahgunj factory in nine months.