A delegation from Nokia India Thozhilalargal Sangam (Employees Union) — representing the workers at the company’s production facility near Chennai — left for Delhi to explore various legal options. This includes impleading themselves in the ongoing case in the Delhi High Court between Nokia and the Income-Tax Department.

“We are yet to decide on what action we need to take before the December 9 hearing. We cannot reveal anything before filing in the High Court,” said union treasurer P. Suresh.

The Tax Department has claimed that Nokia India owes it over Rs 4,000 crore in unpaid dues and froze its assets earlier this year. The company has approached the Delhi High Court over the issue.

This has thrown up a question mark over the fate of the Chennai production facility in the proposed acquisition of Nokia globally by Microsoft. With the companies setting December 12 as a deadline for the deal, if the issue is not resolved by then the Chennai production facility could be left out. This would mean that one of Nokia’s largest factories will act as a vendor, provide ‘a transitional service’ for about six to 12 months, till the issue is resolved.

The union is against any such interim agreement and supports the acquisition by Microsoft. Nokia’s factory is the largest for the Finnish telecom major, employing around 35,000 people, both directly and indirectly.

‘Rs 6,500-cr tax liability’

PTI reports: A top Finance Ministry official today asserted that the Finnish company will have to clear a total tax liability estimated at around Rs 6,500 crore.

“Nokia will have to pay total tax liability,” the senior official said when asked to respond to the recent statement of Finland’s Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja.

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