Wage hike strike by Bosch workers in Bangalore banned

The Karnataka government Friday banned the indefinite strike launched by the workers' union of German auto components major Bosch Ltd at its main production plant in the city Sep 16 for a higher wage hike.

"The state government prohibits the strike with immediate effect under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947," the company said in a statement here even as the strike by 2,600 workers of the employees' union entered 25th day.

Though the company termed the strike illegal, efforts to resolve the wage revision issue by the state labour commissioner through several conciliatory meetings between the management and the trade union (Mico Employees Association) did not yield any result.

"Due to lack of consensus among various factions of the trade union, the negotiations did not result in a mutually agreeably resolution," the company said.

Though the company has offered the workmen an increase of Rs.17,000 per month for each employee, the striking workers are demanding Rs.20,000 per month.

The Rs.13,200-crore company is a leading supplier of components, including fuel injection pumps and spark plugs to automobiles and commercial vehicles makers in the country.

The wage revision, given once in four years, has been due since January 2013, while management and union have been negotiating over the quantum of hike during the past several months.

"We are one of the highest paymasters in the manufacturing industry (region-cum-sector) and offer best working environment, welfare and medical benefits to our workmen, ensuring their growth and development," the company claimed in the statement.

Besides two manufacturing plants in the city, including one at Naganathapura on the outskirts, the company has the third unit at Nashik in Maharashtra and fourth at Jaipur in Rajasthan.

An employee in the city plant is paid an average salary of Rs.65,000 a month.

Declining the offer, a union representative said the Rs.20,000 demand for each employee per month was reasonable owing to rising cost of living and inflation, which neutralise the hike to a great extent, as the next wage revision is due in January 2017.

The company meanwhile said the "management will continue to adopt a fair but firm approach and urges the union to call off the illegal strike and report to work to restore normalcy".