Bajaj Auto workers defer strike at Chakan plant

Decision taken after four-hour long meeting of union leaders at company's Chakan plant

In a relief to Pune-based two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto, its employees’ union on Sunday deferred a proposed strike from Monday for two weeks, saying workers had decided to give more time to the management to consider their charter of demands.      

The decision was taken after a four-hour meeting of union leaders at the company’s Chakan plant in Maharashtra.      

“We have conveyed our decision to the management,” Dilip Pawar, Union President, said. Pawar said the decision was taken keeping in view the interest of employees and to grant more time to the management to consider the demands. The union, on April 14, had served a notice with a list of demands, which include allocating funds earmarked for corporate social responsibility  (CSR) activities to educating employees’ children, setting up a museum in the name of the company’s founder, Jamnalal Bajaj, in a year and alloting shares to workers at a discounted price. However, the management had termed the demand for allocation of funds for tribal development from CSR expenditure and the museum as “insane”. The company said it would ensure production was not hit if the union were to make attempts to disrupt it.      

Bajaj Auto had said it had received a notice from its employees’ union for stopping work from Monday at the Chakan plant, close to Pune. The plant employs about 2,000 workers, including around 900 permanent ones, and makes 1.2 million motorcycles a year, including the Pulsar and Avenger models and models under the Ninja and KTM brands.