Staff at Bajaj Auto, India’s major exporter of motorbikes, are demanding the short term closure of one of its plants right after 250 workforce there tested constructive for coronavirus, its unions claimed on Saturday, as providers struggle to ramp up operations.

India went into complete lockdown in late March to curb the distribute of the virus but it has a short while ago eased constraints in spite of the amount of cases surging, putting some firms in a challenging placement as they check out to revive manufacturing.

The Bajaj Automobile (BAJA.NS) manufacturing unit afflicted is positioned in western Maharashtra, the condition with the highest number of situations of COVID-19, the disease the virus will cause. The company said in a letter to employees this 7 days that all those who do not show up for operate will not be paid out.

“Individuals are fearful to come to function. Some are nevertheless coming but some are getting go away,” explained Thengade Bajirao, president of the Bajaj Automobile Workers’ Union.

The corporation said on June 26 that 140 of the roughly 8,000 team at the manufacturing facility had caught the virus and two experienced died.

It stated perform there would not be stopped, on the other hand, as the business desired to master to “are living with the virus”.

An official in Aurangabad district, overseeing the Waluj spot the place the plant is found, reported the number of instances experienced now absent up to much more than 250.

Bajaj Auto did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

On Saturday, India claimed a record quantity of extra than 22,000 day by day situations of infection, taking the nationwide overall to extra than 640,000.

“We requested the firm to quickly shut the plant for 10-15 times to split the cycle but they stated there is no position as people today will go on to acquire for social functions outdoors of work,” the Bajaj union’s Bajirao stated.

For each personnel tests beneficial, 4 who operate close to them have to be quarantined, affecting productivity, he mentioned.

Waluj plant accounts for above 50% of Bajaj’s manufacturing quantity

With an once-a-year manufacturing ability of above 3.3 million motorbikes and other autos, the Waluj plant accounts for a lot more than 50% of Bajaj’s producing quantity in India.

“If an employee stays absent at workplace or plant thanks to any reason in spite of currently being asked by the enterprise … then his/her income would be deducted 100% during the time period,” Bajaj mentioned in the letter to employees.

In May, Chinese smartphone maker OPPO suspended operations briefly at a plant in close proximity to New Delhi following some staff analyzed good.

Staff and union leaders say Bajaj has taken measures to guarantee social distancing on the manufacturing facility ground and in its cafeteria, in addition to arranging divided seating on its buses and furnishing masks and sanitisers for team. But they say this is not adequate.

“On the assembly line, many folks touch the similar motor. We have been carrying gloves but however caught the virus,” mentioned 1 worker who was in clinic just after tests favourable for COVID-19.