Maruti conflict escalates as govt pulls out of talks

Negotiations break down after union leaders arrested.

With the confrontation between workers in Manesar and the Maruti Suzuki management intensifying, the labour department of Haryana on Monday distanced itself from the negotiations, saying it would not be involved in the talks any further. The development has marred hopes of a settlement — under which the workers were ready to sign the good conduct bond if the language was moderated — which looked bright till yesterday. The matter now appears headed for a labour court.

The decision of the Haryana government comes just hours after office-bearers of the proposed Maruti Suzuki Employees Union, representing the Manesar workers, were arrested in a late night swoop yesterday. The management had complained these office-bearers had allegedly attacked a group of company supervisors who had gone to work.

Haryana labour commissioner Satwanti Ahlawat told Business Standard the state government was only helping in a ‘conciliatory’ solution between workers and the company. “We will not be involved in any further talks. Both the parties have to now approach the labour court,” she said.

Haryana labour minister Shiv Charan Lal Sharma said the government was looking at that possibility. “We will have to do it, as no other solution is emerging. I am in Chandigarh and will meet the chief minister for his view on the matter,” Sharma said. According to the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, if the government is of the opinion any industrial dispute exists or is apprehended, it can refer the matter to a court for inquiry.

“The representatives of the protesting workers were arrested last night. The labour department or the company does not have anyone to hold a dialogue with. The company cannot approach the labour court directly; under the law, the dispute has to be referred by the state’s labour department. On our part, we have directly communicated with 350 technician trainees to resume work within the next three days,” said a company official.

The company has 400 technician trainees at Manesar. Of those, the services of 18 trainees were terminated for indiscipline and for deliberately causing quality problems in the cars manufactured.

To encourage workers to sign the good conduct bond, the company has assured employees at Manesar they should “resume duties without any fear or apprehension and work towards restoring normalcy”.

In the meantime, D L Sachdeva, general secretary, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), said the workers had not received any communication from the labour department to resolve the matter in court. “The workers would directly want to negotiate with the management. The representatives of MSEU who were arrested last night will be freed on bail tomorrow. The joint action committee will hold a meeting tomorrow to decide the further course of action.”

Last Thursday, a group of 20 workers had attacked a bus carrying 11 supervisors on their way to work at the Manesar facility. A worker had been detained by the police in this connection.

The company rolled out 600 units of the Swift on Monday from Manesar and Gurgaon combined.