Lockout at major Apollo plant ends

Aug. 23, 2010

The two-month lockout at Apollo Tyres Ltd.'s Perambra, India, plant has ended as the company and two unions have come to a resolution.

The parties have agreed to raise the plant's daily capacity from 308 tons to 340 tons. Meanwhile, Apollo will hire an additional 200 people, and unions have conceded that the company can use "secondary manpower" at certain times.

"The increase in capacity, manpower and the use of secondary labor are all progressive steps," says Satish Sharma, chief of Apollo's India operations.

The Perambra factory produces light truck, medium truck, bus and agricultural tires.