"Indian court orders COVID-related audit of Renault-Nissan plant" 31 May 2021

An Indian court on Monday ordered officials to inspect coronavirus-related safety protocols at Renault-Nissan's Tamil Nadu car plant, where workers are on strike over allegations that social distancing rules are not being followed.

Workers at the southern Indian factory, jointly owned by Renault and alliance partner Nissan Motor, did not report for duty on Monday over COVID-related safety concerns, the workers' union said.

Nissan, which owns a majority stake in the plant, denied the workers' safety allegations and told an Indian court it followed all guidelines. The company also said it would cooperate with the state government during the inspection and would reopen the factory gradually. [...]

A two-judge bench ordered a senior government official in charge of industrial safety to visit the plant on Tuesday for an inspection, while also asking workers to resume their duties.

Distancing norms have to be maintained without exception, the court said, directing the management and workers to arrive at an amicable solution.

The Tamil Nadu state government on Saturday allowed carmakers near Chennai to keep operating, but asked them to ensure adherence to social distancing protocols.

One of the judges noted that one factory inspected by the state's industrial safety departments was served a notice asking to "show cause" for purported discrepancies with standard operating procedures. [...]