Maruti shuts Manesar plant as management attacked

Any sustained shutdown at Manesar factory would be a blow for the carmaker, which lost over $500 mn worth of production last year

Maruti Suzuki, India's largest car manufacturer, stopped production at one of its factories on Wednesday after workers attacked managers at the plant and set fire to company property, the automaker said.

Any sustained shutdown of the Manesar factory would be a blow for the carmaker, which lost over $500 million worth of production last year due to weeks of labour unrest at the same plant, slashing its sales and market share.

At least 40 managers and executives were sent to hospital with injuries, Maruti said in a statement, following a protest by the workers' union at the factory over a disciplinary issue with an employee.

"To resolve the issue amicably, members of the senior management met the union. During the talks, the workers attacked the members of the senior management, executives and managers," Maruti said in the statement issued late on Wednesday. "The attackers also set fire to property and damaged facilities."

A spokesman for the company, controlled by Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp, declined to comment when asked if the factory would recommence production on Thursday.

Production at its Gurgaon plant took place as normal on Wednesday.