By Venkatachari Jagannathan

Chennai, May 27 (IANS): About 900 workers of Ford India Private Ltd on Thursday boycotted lunch demanding an early settlement of their Covid-19 related demands, said a Union official.

"About 900 workers boycotted lunch today (Thursday) at the plant. We want the company management to complete the talks early. We felt the management is delaying the talks," a Union official told IANS.

He said only one shift is operated at the factory.

The workers have requested Ford India to treat them as frontline Covid warriors as they are risking their lives during the pandemic period to roll out cars. If they die due to Covid-19 their families should be paid a compensation of Rs.50 lakh.

"The company can take out a life insurance policy or pay out of its pocket," a Ford India Union Official told IANS.

"At Ford India Private Ltd's car plant near here over 200 workers out of about 2,700 workers have been infected with coronavirus and two persons died," a worker preferring anonymity had told IANS.

According to workers, the factory started operations on May 24 after being closed from May 11.

Prior to that the plant was closed between May 1 and 5 to break the infection chain, they said.

A Ford India worker said, requests have been made to the management to implement social distancing norms like 50 per cent occupancy in factory buses, four metre gap between tables in canteen, sensor based taps and others.

Ford India's plant near here rolls out models like EcoSport and Endeavour.

"The management has been responsive to our requests. In turn they have asked us to support one shift operation," a Ford India Union Official had said earlier.

The company provides two masks daily for its workers unlike many other automobile units that provide cloth masks once in a couple of months.