Karnataka govt prohibits strike at Bosch

Around 2,600 employees are demanding Rs 20,000 hike in monthly salaries, plus benefits

The Karnataka government today prohibited the 25-day-old employees' strike at the main manufacturing plant of auto components maker Bosch Ltd in Bangalore.

Around 2,600 employees (including 350 temporary workers) affiliated to MICO Employees Association (MEA), the official trade union at Bosch, are on strike from the first shift after the company management failed to fulfil their demands. They are demanding hike in salaries and other benefits like enhancement of medical facility and hospitalisation expenses among others. Workers are demanding around Rs 20,000 hike in their monthly salaries.

In an order issued today, the Karnataka government (LD 565 IDM 2014) prohibited the strike with immediate effect. The order has been issued as per Section 10 (1) sub clause [c] and [d] and Section 10(3) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

Prior to this declaration, the Labour Commissioner and the Additional Labour Commissioner had convened multiple conciliatory meetings between the Company management and the members of workmen union, with special interventions of several senior government officials and finally senior Ministers of the State.

"Given the unwillingness and lack of consensus among various factions of the Workmen Union, unfortunately, these proceedings did not result in a mutually agreeably resolution," Bosch said in a statement.

"Our current offer on the wage negotiation to the Workmen Union is also one of the best amongst comparable Industries. The company will continue to adopt a fair but firm approach and urges its Workmen Union to call off the indefinite illegal strike and report to work and restore normalcy," the company statement added.

The wage hike is done once in four years at Bosch and the management is yet to announce hike in wages for a period of four years starting from January 2013.

Bosch has four manufacturing plants in the country at Bangalore, Naganathapura, Nashik and Jaipur. However, the management concluded wage negotiation at its Nashik plant in April this year. In other three plants, the wage talks are still continuing.

The current Cost to Company (CTC) offered to a workman in Bangalore plant is Rs 65,000 and after negotiations, the company is willing to offer an increase of Rs 17,000. The Union is asking for much higher amount. The Union has also demanded for walk-in/walk-out medical benefits, Bosch sources said.