Fasting Toyota workers admitted to hospital

Nine workers fell sick on Sunday due to low blood pressure and low sugar levels

The three-week standoff at two plants of Toyota Kirloskar Motor in Bidadi, close to this city, worsened on Sunday with nine workers admitted to hospital, five days after they went on a hunger strike.

“Nine workers, who were among the 25 on hunger strike for the past five days, fell sick this evening due to low blood pressure and low sugar levels. Yesterday, we had admitted one person to the hospital for the same reason,” Toyota Kirloskar Motor Employees Union General Secretary R Satish told Business Standard.

The company had earlier declared a lockout when wage negotiations failed and workers resorted to a go-slow. They then required all employees to sign a good conduct undertaking before joining, which the Union refused.

Satish said the police intervened on Saturday and tried to evict the fasting workers but did not succeed. “As a matter of solidarity, we decided to sit on a serial hunger strike from 9 am to 6 pm. About 60 workers went on a serial hunger strike today and we will continue tomorrow as well,” he said.

Ten workers had begun an indefinite hunger strike on Wednesday and another 15 joined the next day, demanding intervention of the state government to resolve the impasse.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor officials were unavailable for comments. Two local MLAs and the head of a local religious mutt visited the venue and expressed support for the fasting workers.

Vice-Chairman Shekar Viswanathan said on Friday the company was not aware of their hunger strike and they had only seen some banners near the factory. He’d said 300 workers affiliated to the union had joined for duty by signing the good conduct undertaking.

The management is ensuring limited production with 1,200 supervisory staff, 800 apprentices and 400 contract workers. Output has dropped to around 350 units a day from about 700 a day before the stir, he said.