COMPANY OVERVIEW:

Founded in 1972 and started commercial production in Coimbatore in 1975

4 lakh Dashboard Instruments, a subsidiary of Premier Instruments & Controls

Ltd., was later diversified into electronic control equipment, precision machine
tools, security and industrial instrument panels, and sensor equipment. Its main
business is the manufacture of automotive equipment and parts.

Since 1985, PRICOL has been exporting products with a turnover of 2.88 lakhs,
rising to 752lakhs in the financial year ended March 31, 1994.

COLLABORATIONS:

During the year 1985, the Company entered into technical

collaboration with M/s. NS International Ltd., U.SA.
(Subsidiary of M/s. Nippon Seiko Co. Ltd., Japan) for up
gradation of existing Technology in the manufacture of
Dashboard Instruments for Two Wheelers. The technology has
been fully absorbed.

During the year 1991-92, company entered into technical

collaboration with M/s. Nippon den so Co. Ltd. Japan for up
gradation of Technology in the manufacture of four-wheeler
Instruments, thereby improving upon its existing quality levels and
manufacturing methods to keep pace with the international
technologies in the instrumentation field.

THE PRICOL STRUGGLE

The Pricol struggle is one of its kind as there were so many parties
which came together for the struggle. All permanent worker,
ancillary unit workers and contract laborers joined the union led by
AICCTU. It was also supported by the law students, civil rights
activists and Dalit organizations. The struggle was against several
unjust practices followed by the management: sham contract labour
system, satellite vendor systems, victimization of laborers through
closure, denial of wage increase and termination of workers were
 few of them. Thus workers demanded the government to intervene
and pass orders under Section 10B of Industrial Dispute Act 1947.
The struggle which started in 2007 and continued till 2009 had a
very frightening end. Workers bravely fought with management
and succeeded in making strikes which lasted for several months.
The management tried to threaten workers by branding them as a
‘Maoist-Leninist’ leadership. The uproar and struggle led to the
murder of Pricol HR vice-president Roy George in Coimbatore.

Genesis of the Struggle

In order to increase margins, management led to unjust

practices like sham Contract labour and Satellite Vendor
system.
To weaken the collective bargaining it had developed five
independent unions. Worker were devoid of their rights for
decades which led to eruption of the anger amongst the
labours.
The final blow that led to disruption was when the vanguards
of the newly formed unions in plant 1 and
3 were vindictively transferred. They received an
overwhelming support of the permanent workers as well as the
workers of the sham contract labour and satellite vendor
systems, which led to a powerful strike from 3rd March, 2007.

Learning’s and conclusion

More sensitization towards the grievances of workers is required.

Management should not push them to the limits of rebellion.
Thorough investigation should be done so as to bring justice to the
truly deserved. Trade unions should be work independent of
political parties and other influences so that they don’t act as police
force to keep a check on workers.
Serious concern need to be be expressed in terms of huge Indian
workforce which continues in unorganized sectors.
The profit and growth of the firm should be shared with workers.
Their wages should increase with respect to set benchmarks and
working conditions should be improved.

We understand that aggressive management policies do not

work in long term and present loss to both parties.
Moreover, it does not take long for labor related issues to gain
escalation and need to be handled very sensitively.

Finally, most important aspect is any industrial dispute case is

communication between management and workers. It
needs to be built and should not stop at any level.