State govt calls Maruti, union for talks on standoff

The state government intervened on Friday for the first time since the deadlock began at Maruti Suzuki India’s factory here, even as the standoff between management and workers entered its fifth day. A solution is yet to emerge.

The district (Gurgaon) administration head, deputy commissioner P C Meena, told Business Standard a meeting was organised this afternoon between union leaders of the protesting workers and the management. The latter, he said, was represented by a Raju, director in the personnel department.

“I have asked the labour department to find a solution that satisfies both. We are hopeful that a solution will emerge very soon,” said Meena.

However, the union leaders alleged a solution could not emerge as no one came from the management to the office of the deputy labour commissioner (DLC) in Gurgaon. “We had invited the management for a meeting at the office of the labour commissioner but they didn’t come. The management is not willing to talk. They just want to terrorise the workers,” said Satbir Singh, president of the Haryana wing of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions. “We want negotiations to begin.”

A company spokesperson said they’d earlier told the DLC they’d be unbale to come for on Friday's meeting. “Since the management doesn’t want to talk, a middle ground will be reached only with the intervention of the state government,” said D L Sachdeva, secretary, All India Trade Union Congress. “During the June strike at Maruti, a solution emerged after the intervention of the chief minister.”

Contrary to Maruti’s stated position, the workers’ union has alleged there’d been no productionof any car since August 29.

“The management is spreading a rumour that the production has resumed through a handful of contract workers, some supervisors, engineers and robots. We want to reiterate that production is at a complete halt and not even a single car has been produced since August 29,” said Shiv Kumar, general secretary, Maruti Suzuki Employee Union.