Contract worker regularisation to be completed by Oct: Maruti

MSI had decided to do away with contract workers after the Manesar violence

Maruti Suzuki India expects to complete the regularisation of contract workers at its troubled Manesar plant by September-end or early October.

"The first written tests for regularisation of contract workers at the shop floor was conducted on Sunday. Further process such as interviews will be held in due course of time and the exercise is expected to be completed by September-end or early October," a senior company official told PTI.

Following the July 18 violence, in which a senior company official was killed and 100 others injured, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) had decided to do away with contract workers at its production line.

MSI Chairman R C Bhargava had said the company would directly recruit the workers and they would be given wages and other benefits similar to those on the permanent rolls of the company.

While lifting a month-long lockout at the Manesar plant, the company had also sacked 500 permanent workers, announcing that those contract workers found to be involved in the violence would also not be taken back.

Sources had said that out of the nearly 1,800 contract workers, MSI may not take back 500, who have been identified as having been involved in the violence.

"A clear picture on how many contract workers will not be taken back will emerge only after the end of the regularisation process," the official added.

In terms of production at the Manesar plant, it has reached a daily output of over 500 units as against the normal capacity of rolling out 1,500-1,700 units a day.

"Almost all the remaining permanent workers have resumed duties and production is scaling up accordingly," the official added.

Before the violence erupted, the Manesar plant had a total of 1,528 permanent workers.