Maruti defies workers' protest, continues operations

Even as the country’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) is gearing up to increase production at its Manesar unit, around 546 dismissed workers at the facility are entering into a two-day agitation beginning Wednesday to seek re-instatement in the company.

The sacked workers have constituted a seven-member provisional working committee (PWC) under the aegis of the non-functional Maruti Suzuki Workers’ Union (MSWU). Members of the PWC claimed that while workers at the Manesar facility have pledged support and have agreed to join the hunger strike on Wednesday, representatives of the Gurgaon-based Maruti Udyog Kamgar Union (MUKU) have indicated that they would join a protest rally on Thursday to express solidarity.

Om Prakash, member, PWC said, “The company had sacked 546 workers, around 150 of whom are in jail. We are all going on a two-day hunger strike to protest against our dismissal. The workers inside the Manesar factory will join the hunger strike but will continue production work We want the reinstatement of all colleagues not charged by the Special Investigation Team and a proper and unbiased inquiry into the incident.”

Maruti Suzuki had cut by third its regular workforce and dismissed 546 employees in connection with the violent labour unrest at its Manesar facility on July 18. The incident had resulted in the death of a senior HR executive and left injured around 100 officials in the company. The company had declared a month-long lock-out at the unit which had led to production loss of 77,000 units. Earlier in August this year, MUKU representatives had approached visiting chairman of parent Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) Osamu Suzuki to re-induct sacked employees at Manesar, but the company had categorically ruled out taking any such action.

“We will not participate in the hunger strike but will support the rally on Thursday”, said Kuldeep Jhangu, general secretary, MUKU.

Though the company declined to comment on the latest agitation being organized by these former employees, sources at MSIL said operations at both factories are likely to remain unaffected. “Production is normal at Manesar. By December we plan to roll out 1950 cars per day as compared to the 1700 units we produced in July”, informed a company executive. MSIL currently has around 4000 workers at Manesar. The company plans to increase the strength of the workforce at the unit by another 500 employees by next month.

It is in the process of regularizing the 1870 contract workers it had at the unit prior to the unrest on July 18. The move is in line with the company’s decision to hire only permanent or regular employees for core production activities post instances of labour unrest at the Manesar unit.

The protests from former workers have come at a time when the employees’ union at Gurgaon and permanent workers at Manesar have already inked a historic wage settlement package with the management. Earlier in September this year, Maruti Suzuki increased gross salary by Rs 14,800 per month spread over a period of three years for permanent workers in the company. While 75 per cent of the gross salary increment will be given in the first year, MSIL will give 12.5 per cent each in the second and third years.

Meanwhile, the SIT formed by the Haryana government had concluded that the violence perpetrated at the Manesar plant in July was due to internal issues between the management and workers and ruled out the external influence as was suspected by the company. The record wage hike and concessions outlined recently are expected promote satisfaction and welfare of workers, informed sources in the company.