Maruti's Manesar workers stage rally

Workers of Maruti Suzuki India's (MSI) first plant at Manesar today approached district authorities here seeking intervention to bring an end to the impasse that has resulted in production being affected since August 29.

Around 1,500 workers also took out a protest rally near the mini secretariat here demanding that the company management should not force them to sign a good conduct bond.

Representatives of the workers met Additional Deputy Commissioner VK Hooda and apprised him of the situation at the plant and submitted their demands.

"We are willing to work but will not sign the good conduct bond," a worker representative said, adding the dismissed and suspended colleagues must also be reinstated by the management.

The workers' demand for forming a new union, Maruti Suzuki Employees Union (MSEU) must also be allowed, he added.

On August 29, the company management prevented workers from entering factory premises at the Manesar plant unless they signed a good conduct bond.

The bond required the workers to declare that they would "not resort to go slow, intermittent stoppage of work, stay-in-strike, work-to-rule, sabotage or otherwise indulge in any activity, which would hamper the normal production in the factory".

During the first two days of the stand-off, MSI dismissed five permanent workers. In addition, it suspended 26 permanent workers and discontinued the services of another 18 trainees on charges of sabotage and causing quality problems in cars.

As of Saturday last week, 81 workers have signed the bond but majority of them have refused to sign it. MSI has about 2,500 workers at the first plant in Manesar and around 1,000 of them are permanent.

The management has been taking a tough stand against the workers and had refused to meet their demands. In fact, it is understood that management has decided to recruit new workers from tomorrow onwards to replace the existing permanent workers unless they signed the good conduct bond.