4,500 Toyota workers to report for duty from today

3rd party may probe suspension of 30

The Toyota Kirloskar Motor Employees’ Union (TKMEU) has unanimously decided to end its relay hunger strike and will report for duty from the first shift on Tuesday.

The decision to rejoin comes after the Karnataka government prohibited the lockout at both Toyota car plants at Bidadi last weekend.

Close to 3,000 members of the TKMEU attended the general body meeting before the main gate of the factory on Monday and agreed to end the strike, said a TKMEU official.

R Satish, general secretary, said, “The union welcomes the decision to ban the lockout at the factory. Our demands, including a rise for 2013-14, will be adjudicated in court.”

The state government on Saturday had issued an order directing Toyota Kirloskar Motor and the employees’ union to restore normalcy in the interest of industrial peace in and round Bangalore. It also turned down the company’s demand for a guarantee for good conduct from the striking workers.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “It is important for the union and the company to comply with and facilitate the execution of the government’s order.”

Satish said, “The matter is in court. But  if the company is ready to talk, we are open to it.”

Regarding the suspension of 30 workers, the company said: “We have a systematic process in place that also involves external parties for fair inquiry.”