Workers vandalised the offices of the firm, setting vehicles on fire
Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries Jagadish Shettar on Saturday said that the state government will give necessary protection to the Taiwanese company Wistron in Kolar which was vandalised by its employees.
"Employees of a Taiwanese company vandalised Wistron office, situated in Narasapur Industrial Area in Kolar district of Karnataka, on Saturday. The incident occurred over the non-payment of salary dues for several months. The company deals with the manufacturing of Apple iPhones in India," read a press statement from the Minister.
"The protest against the management turned violent after some people started vandalising the office, setting vehicles on fire, pelting stones and setting the company's board on fire," the statement read.
Regretting the unpleasant incident, the minister said that it is not right to take the law into one's hand no matter what the problem is.
"The State government has taken steps to develop industries in the State and is committed to the protection of the worker's right. The problem could have been resolved if it had been adequately addressed as per law," the statement quoted him as saying.
Mr Shettar said that the state government is ready to provide adequate protection to companies that have invested in the state.
"We will take stringent measures to prevent such unpleasant events from recurring. We have already spoken with the District Superintendents of Kolar District and the Superintendents of Police and have been instructed to provide necessary protection. Karnataka is a peaceful state, which has always welcomed foreign investors and investment and provided them with a peaceful and friendly environment to conduct business," the statement read.
"The incident at the Wistron plant is unfortunate and unacceptable. The government is committed to conducting a full and fair investigation into the incident and punish the wrongdoers," he added.
Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka CN Ashwath Narayan on Saturday condemned the incident in which hundreds of workers were seen entering the Wistron manufacturing plant in Kolar district of the state and smashing office properties.
"It was imperative that nobody takes the law in their own hands. There are appropriate forums to resolve such issues without indulging in this wonton violence," the Deputy Chief Minister said in a tweet.
Mr Narayan also said that he had directed Superintendent of Police (SP) Kolar to ensure all measures are taken to bring the situation under immediate control and the culprits are identified. "Strict action will be taken under the law against the errant elements," he said.
Mr Narayan said that he has discussed the matter with Meena Nagaraj, the Director of Electronics, Information Technology and Biotechnology at the Government of Karnataka. "Our government will do the needful to ensure that the situation is resolved expeditiously and all stakeholders and their concerns are allayed," he added.
"We will ensure that all workers' rights are duly protected and all their dues are cleared," he assured.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)