Chennai, Feb 16 (IANS) Around 500 workers of a US-based firm here Tuesday went on strike demanding pay hike and health insurance.

The agitators at the Indian plant of electronic manufacturing service provider Sanmina SCI Corporation were demanding for their pay revision and healthcare facilities under employees' state insurance (ESI) scheme.

"Even as the prices are shooting there has been no revision in our wages for the past three years. The company after dilly-dallying on the pretext of holding talks for six months finally refused our demands and hence the strike," P. Balaji, treasurer of Sanmina SCI trade union told IANS.

Situated at the Special Economic Zone in Oragadam, around 50 km from here, the Sanmina SCI plant has annual turnover of around $6.3 billion.

According to Balaji, the company has around 1,200 worker of which around 850 are permanent and the rest are casual labourers.

"The management and the workers met and discussed the issues for nearly 16 times and finally the company refused to accede to any of the demands," said S. Kannan, of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).

Sanmina SCI caters to several leading electronic equipment manufacturers with an array of services including design and engineering. It has clients in various sectors ranging from telecommunication, defence and aerospace to medical, renewable energy and multimedia.