Talks to end impasse at Maruti's Manesar plant fail

The Haryana government brokered negotiations between Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) management and its workers to end the standoff at MSI's Manesar plant failed today.

Haryana Minister for Labour and Employment Shiv Charan Lal Sharma held talks with the company's management and workers of the Manesar plant -- along with representatives of MSI's recognised union Maruti Udyog Kamgar Union (MUKU) -- through the day but an agreement proved elusive.

"The workers were apologetic about the production loss that MSI has suffered and also about yesterday's violent incident, but they are insisting that the dismissed and suspended colleagues must be taken back," Sharma said.

He also said the workers were demanding that the police case filed by the management should be withdrawn.

"The management has insisted on workers signing the good conduct bond and refused to take back the 57 people, who have been dismissed or suspended for 'indiscipline' but the workers are demanding just the opposite," an MSI source said.

The talks will be held tomorrow again, said a worker who took part in the negotiations but asked not to be identified.

The MSI management and workers have been locked in a standoff since August 29, when the management prevented workers from entering the factory premises unless they signed a 'good conduct' bond, after alleged sabotage and deliberate compromise on the quality of cars being produced.

The bond requires the workers to declare 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 normal production in the factory".

Meanwhile, workers at three factories operated by two different subsidiaries of Suzuki Motor Corp in India called off their two-day-long strike this morning after an agreement was reached with the managements of the companies.

On Wednesday, workers at Suzuki Powertrain India (SPIL) and Suzuki Motorcycle India went on strike in support of their colleagues at the Manesar plant.

Subsequently, MSI announced that the plant will resume production on Sunday as it expects engines and components supplies to normalise after the end of strike at SPIL.

"Our focus now will be bringing the production to normal levels as supplies of components and engines will resume from SPIL. We will also further augment manpower at the Manesar plant," a company spokesperson said.

MSI said, however, that its Gurgaon plant will not function on Sunday.

The company had yesterday announced that its factories at Manesar and Gurgaon will be shut today due to supply constraints of engines from SPIL due to the strike there.