Maruti to start hiring new workers at Manesar

Maruti Suzuki India today said it will start hiring new permanent employees for its troubled Manesar plant from tomorrow to replace those who have refused to sign the good conduct bond.

With the impasse that started on August 29 continuing, the company said it brought in 50 more ITI-trained and experienced workers today at the plant. It produced a total of 500 units of Swift from Manesar and Gurgaon plants combined.

"The company further brought down its dependence on permanent workers who are refusing to sign 'Good Conduct Bond' and remaining absent from work at Manesar plant...The company will start fresh recruitment of regular workers from tomorrow," MSI said in a statement.

"Maruti Suzuki will allow only those workers to resume duties at Manesar plant who will sign the Good Conduct Bond," it added.

MSI said, as of today, 95 workers have signed the bond.

With 50 more ITI-trained and experienced workers at the Manesar plant, total workforce there has now reached 1,100 people, it added.

The standoff started last month when the management prevented workers from entering factory premises at the plant unless they signed a good conduct bond, following alleged sabotage and deliberate compromise on quality of cars.

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 disciplinary grounds.

Commenting on the gradual increased level of production, the firm said: "At this level of daily production, the company will be able to produce 12,500 units Swift in a month."

Before the problems with workers erupted, the Manesar plant was rolling out about 1,200 units a day of its models, including Swift and SX4.

During the day, the workers approached Gurgaon district authorities seeking intervention to bring an end to the impasse. Around 1,500 of them also took out a protest rally near the mini secretariat demanding that the company management should not force them to sign a Good Conduct Bond.

The workers also demanded that their dismissed and suspended colleagues must be taken back by the company.

Encouraged by support from Haryana State Labour Department and parent Suzuki Motor Corp, MSI has refused to compromise and has maintained that indiscipline would not be tolerated.