Casual workers protest at Maruti's Manesar plant

Casual workers at Maruti Suzuki India's Manesar facility are protesting against the company's decision to bar them from resuming duty after a 33-day-long stand-off between the company management and permanent employees was settled last week.

A group of casual workers have been sitting in front of the Manesar plant, asking the company to let them rejoin work.

According to worker sources, the company has not allowed casual workers -- who had supported permanent workers during their standoff with the management over signing of a 'good conduct bond' -- to enter the factory since last week.

"The company has let in only a few casual workers, who had not supported the agitation of the permanent workers," a worker said.

When contacted, a company spokesperson said: "We are gradually ramping up our production at Manesar, including our new 2.5 lakh capacity Manesar B assembly plant. Most of the contract workers are likely to be absorbed in the expanded operations."

The company had started partial operations of the second unit at Manesar on September 2 as it was trying to normalise production at its first plant amid the labour problem.

On October 1, the management of Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) and workers at the Manesar plant reached an agreement, ending the over one-month-long standoff that arose after the company prevented workers from entering the plant without signing a 'good conduct bond'.

While the management had alleged sabotage and deliberate compromise on the quality of cars being produced, the workers at the plant said the company's motive was "revenge" for a 13-day strike in June demanding the recognition of a new labour union -- the Maruti Suzuki Employees Union (MSEU).