Wage row: Bajaj Auto union threatens hunger strike from January 29

Employees union at Bajaj Auto's Chakan plant has threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike from Monday over the non-revision of wages.

The Bajaj Auto management was to revise the three-year wage agreement with its over 1,000 permanent employees at the Chakan plant in 2016 but it has still not moved on the issue, a union leader said on Thursday.

The Chakan plant, which produces the Pulsar, Avenger, KTM and Dominor bikes, employs around 1,800 of which 1,000 are on the permanent roll.

"As many as 40 meetings have taken place between the management and the union over the wage revision agreement for the April 2016-March 2019 period. However, there is no outcome. All efforts of the union to arrive at an amicable solution have gone in vain," the leader said.

Not only this, "without consulting us, the management deposited higher wages into our accounts. Therefore, our (Vishwa Kalyan Kangar Sangathan) president Dilip Pawar has decided to go on indefinite hunger strike from January 29," the union leader said.

The union has already served a notice to both the Labour Commissioner as well as the company about the hunger strike decision, he said.

Bajaj Auto management's response to a query on this issue was awaited.

As per the union, the management has also not yet addressed the issue taking back the 16 dismissed union office-bearers for various reasons in 2016-17.

"The services of our office bearers were terminated without waiting for the final outcome of a court ruling," the leader alleged.

The Chakan plant has a capacity of 3,000 bikes-the Pulsar (160cc, 180cc 200cc and 220cc), the Avenger (150cc and 220cc), KTM (125cc, 200cc, 250cc, 390cc) and the Dominor 400 -- per day, the union leader said.