Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Workers Strike Over Pay Hits Motorcycle Companies in India’s Chennai

Hundreds of workers at motorbike companies including Yamaha Corp and Eicher Motors are on strike in the southern Indian city of Chennai, demanding better wages and a right to form unions to defend their interests.

Employees said the companies had employed a large number of contract workers to get around rigid Indian labour laws that make it difficult to hire and fire full-time staff and have refused to bring them on company payrolls even after years of contract work.


The unrest is the latest to hit the state of Tamil Nadu, dubbed the Detroit of South Asia because big automakers such as BMW, Daimler, Hyundai, Ford, Nissan and Renault have factories in the state.

"Our main demands concern low wages, contract employees not being made permanent and workers being denied basic respect," said S Kannan, Kanchipuram district president at the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, one of the leaders involved in organising the strike at Yamaha.

Kannan said that talks to resolve the strike had made no progress.

A spokesman at Yamaha, which sells in India as well as overseas, said that production is running below capacity.

Yamaha has a four per cent share of India's two-wheeler market. It sold about 793,000 motorcycles in the past financial year and exported about 252,000.

Wages are low in India, making it an attractive manufacturing and export hub for companies, but workers feeling the effects of rising inflation have been agitating in recent years for higher pay.

"The issue is not widespread. It is in pockets, but it is a cause of concern, especially since it is an industrial belt," said an executive at a global automaker.

In May protests turned violent at metals conglomerate Vedanta's copper smelter about 400 miles from Chennai over alleged environmental violations that the company said underlined the risks global businesses face in India.

The government has tried to overhaul labour laws, hoping to create millions of new jobs and boost economic growth by making it easier to hire and fire, but has faced resistance.

Workers at Eicher Motors, which owns the Royal Enfield motorcycle company, are protesting one such scheme, the National Employability Enhancement Mission (NEEM), said R Sampath, vice-president of the Royal Enfield Employees Union.

"The scheme stops contract workers from becoming permanent employees, allows management to keep wages low and fire people with one month's notice," said Sampath, adding that contract workers do not receive other employee benefits.

Royal Enfield, which has about a four per cent share of the two-wheeler market and sold more than 800,000 motorcycles in India over the past financial year, is "hopeful of arriving at a mutually beneficial solution", it said in a statement.

"We have forums that address matters related to the wellbeing of workmen and are working to understand the issue that compelled a few workmen to refrain from reporting for work today," the company said.

Eicher Motors competes with US motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson Inc in India.

Reuters

More For You

Campbell Wilson

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson steps down as Air India Express chair

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson steps down as Air India Express chair

AIR INDIA CEO Campbell Wilson is stepping down as chair of Air India Express, the airline’s low-cost subsidiary. He will be replaced by Nipun Aggarwal, Air India’s chief commercial officer, according to an internal memo sent on Tuesday.

Wilson will also step down from the board of Air India Express. Basil Kwauk, Air India’s chief operating officer, will take his place.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India eyes Boeing jets rejected by Chinese airlines: report

Tata-owned Air India is interested in purchasing jets that Chinese carriers can no longer accept (Photo credit: Air India)

Air India eyes Boeing jets rejected by Chinese airlines: report

AIR INDIA is seeking to acquire Boeing aircrafts originally destined for Chinese airlines, as escalating tariffs between Washington and Beijing disrupt planned deliveries, reported The Times.

The Tata-owned airline, currently working on its revival strategy, is interested in purchasing jets that Chinese carriers can no longer accept due to the recent trade dispute. According to reports, Tata is also keen to secure future delivery slots should they become available.

Keep ReadingShow less
Infosys forecasts lower annual growth after Trump tariffs cause global uncertainty

The IT service firm said its revenue would either stay flat or grow by up to three per cent

Getty Images

Infosys forecasts lower annual growth after Trump tariffs cause global uncertainty

INDIAN tech giant Infosys forecast muted annual revenue growth last Thursday (17) in an outlook that suggests clients might curtail tech spending because of growing global uncertainty.

The IT service firm said its revenue would either stay flat or grow by up to three per cent in the fiscal year through March 2026 on a constant currency basis. The sales forecast was lower than the 4.2 per cent constantcurrency revenue growth Infosys recorded in the previous financial year.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK retailers

For many retailers, this has meant closing stores, cutting jobs, and focusing on more profitable business segments

Getty

6 UK retailers facing major store closures in 2025

In 2025, several UK retailers are experiencing major store closures as they struggle to navigate financial pressures, rising operational costs, and changing consumer behaviours. These closures reflect the ongoing challenges faced by traditional brick-and-mortar stores in an increasingly digital world. While some closures are part of larger restructuring efforts, others have been driven by financial instability or market shifts that have forced retailers to rethink their business strategies. Let’s take a closer look at six major UK retailers affected by these trends.

1. Morrisons

Morrisons, one of the UK's largest supermarket chains, is undergoing a significant restructuring in 2025. The company has announced the closure of several in-store services, including 52 cafés, 18 Market Kitchens, 17 convenience stores, and various other departments. This move is part of a larger strategy to streamline operations and address rising costs. Morrisons’ parent company, CD&R, has been focusing on reducing overheads and refocusing on core services.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer Trump

The UK is seeking an agreement with the US to remove Trump’s 10 per cent general tariff on goods and the 25 per cent tariff on steel and cars.

Getty Images

Industry warns Starmer: Strike deal with US or face factory job losses

FACTORY owners could begin laying off workers within months unless prime minister Keir Starmer secures a trade agreement with US president Donald Trump, MPs have been told.

Make UK, an industry lobby group, told the business and trade select committee that tariffs on British exports were reducing demand for UK-manufactured goods.

Keep ReadingShow less