Title - ICF workers to stage massive protest over outsourcing move

India’s premier coach manufacturing unit, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Chennai, will witness a massive tool down strike on Wednesday, as employees are to protest the Railway Board’s reported move to outsource designs on coach-making to a few non-railway government enterprises.

This would be the biggest strike in the last 10 years involving majority of the workforce, trade unions said.

Anandhraj, general secretary of DMK ICF Labour Union, said the Railway Board had issued an order pertaining to outsourcing of design on February 13. It was a threat for the future of ICF, as these enterprises might share precious designs with private firms, he added.

“Anywhere between 8,000 and 9,000 employees working in the furnishing and shell divisions of ICF would participate in the strike,” he said. ICF has around 12,000 employees. Anandhraj said the strike would hit production, affecting ICF’s target for this Fiscal Year. Stating that ICF Chennai had fixed a target to manufacture 1,601 coaches before March 31, Anandhraj said, “We have rolled out 1,425 coaches so far. But, the strike would have an adverse impact on delivering the remaining 175 coaches,” he added.

An ICF spokesperson warned of stringent action against the protesting employees, while adding. “We have received instructions from the Railway Board to continue with work.” ICF Chennai was established post-Independence for the manufacturing of light weight, all-steel and all-welded integral coaches.