Maruti workers adamant on strike: labour dept

The Haryana labour department today said the agitating workers of Maruti's Manesar plant were adamant on not rejoining their duties, despite its best efforts to resolve the issue.

Asking workers to sign the good conduct bond as there is nothing illegal in it, the department said the "problems of workers could aggravate" if they continue to abstain from their work.

"They [workers] are not ready to listen to us. I along with Labour Commissioner met them [last week] and appealed to them to rejoin their duties as we do not see any illegality in the good conduct bond which the company is asking workers to sign it," Haryana Labour Secretary Sarban Singh said.

Asked whether any body or organisation was instigating workers to continue shun work, Singh refused to be drawn into this matter.

However, he said, "We have not seen any evidence of workers being instigated by any body. But if they are getting instigated then it is their fault."

Maruti Suzuki India Chairman RC Bhargava few days back had termed the labour unrest as "political issue".

However, the entire state machinery is on its job to resolve the issue at the earliest so that the production at Maruti Suzuki plant could turn normal.

Labour Secretary said the Maruti management was making its own arrangements by hiring more people to avoid further production losses.

"Management has already started recruiting new people [to run factory]... Problems of workers [if they continue to be on strike] could further aggravate..So they should accept what management says," he said.

On the charge being leveled by workers that the labour department takes side of the management, Singh said, "it is not true. We are talking to them [workers]... We have even personally met them and our officers are still on their job to resolve the issue."

Trouble arose in Maruti Suzuki's plant at Manesar last month when management asked workers to sign good conduct bond before entering factory.