Political parties seek thorough probe into violence at Wistron's iPhone plant in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Dec 13: Political parties in Karnataka on Sunday sought a thorough probe into the violence at Wistron's iPhone manufacturing plant in Kolar district as they expressed concerns about its possible impact on the investment friendly image of the state.
Workers at the plant, run by the Taiwan-based company, had gone on a rampage on Saturday over alleged delay in payment of salary and overtime wages.
Over 130 people have been detained by the police following the incident during which the workers hurled stones, broke glass windows and doors, overturned and set fire to vehicles with the video footage of the violence going viral on social media.
Condemning the violence, the state government has already assured of necessary action.
Leaders of the ruling BJP and opposition Congress termed the incident as unfortunate and sought a detailed probe.
A day after the violence, police personnel continued to be deployed at the plant in Narasapura Industrial Area in Kolar district, about 50 kilometers from here.
"It is unfortunate that Wistron manufacturing plant was violently attacked by agitating workers near Kolar. At a time when many companies are shifting base from China to India, such attacks give a bad name for the State. I request CM B S Yediyurappa to order a probe into this incident," BJP national general secretary C T Ravi tweeted.
Noting that the incident has been reported by several national and international news agencies, senior Congress leader V R Sudarshan, who visited the spot said, it was not a good development for attracting investment and job creation in the state.
He sought stricter measures by the government so that such incidents did not recur.
Calling for immediate mediation by the government between employees and the company for creating a conducive atmosphere for the plant to start functioning again, he asserted that protecting the interest of employees was also equally important.
He also demanded a thorough inquiry into what led to the incident, and punishment for those behind it and the ones who instigated it.
Congress MLA and former IT Minister Priyank Kharge too in a tweet said vandalism of Wistron factory was not good for the image of the state.
"Investments and job creating opportunities are dropping due to Corona and in these trying times Govt needs to get its act together in protecting labour and industries interests.
Govt seems to be clueless about law and order," he said.
The incident had occurred a day after a high-level Taiwanese delegation led by Ben Wang, Director General, Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) on Friday had told Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa that several of their companies were keen to engage with the government to further discuss their investment plans in the state.
Minister for Major and Medium Industries Jagadish Shettar on Saturday had said the state government will give necessary protection to Wistron.
Stating that the government will take stringent measures to prevent such unpleasant events from recurring, he said, it was committed to the business, the workers and the people at large.
The incident at the Winstron plant is unfortunate and unacceptable. The government is committed to conducting a full and fair investigation into the incident and punishing the wrongdoers," he added.
Deputy Chief Minister and in-charge for IT department C N Ashwath Narayan too has said, strict action will be taken against those who are responsible for the violence and those who caused damage to the properties.
The investigation process has begun and would be looked into from all the angles to know the actual cause which prompted this situation, he said, adding the inquiry would also look into complaints related to salary for the workers and cuts in payment.
Besides iPhone for Apple, Wistron also manufactures IT products for Lenovo and Microsoft among others.
It is unfortunate that Wistron manufacturing plant was violently attacked by agitating workers near Kolara.
— C T Ravi ?? ಸಿ ಟಿ ರವಿ (@CTRavi_BJP) December 13, 2020
At a time when many companies are shifting base from China to India, such attacks give a bad name for the State.
I request CM @BSYBJP to order a probe into this incident.
Vandalism of #Wistron factory is not good for the image of state. Investments & job creating opportunities are dropping due to Corona & in these trying times Govt needs to get its act together in protecting labour & industries interests.Govt seems to be clueless about law & order
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) December 12, 2020
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Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
