Bosch's Nashik employee union goes on indefinite fast

After facing a tools-down strike by the employees of its Bangalore plant last year, auto component maker Bosch now faces another agitation from its Nashik plant union.
A section of its employees union went on an indefinite fast from yesterday in front of the Labour Commissioner's office here demanding an early settlement of wage revision.
The management has failed to conclude over-stretched negotiations into a final agreement which is long over-due, company's employees union general secretary Hemant Ahire alleged.
"Even after 27 rounds of discussions with the union on our wage hike agreement, Bosch management is still keeping the issue pending. We demand a firm and early decision on the on all our demands including a wage hike of Rs 9,800," Ahire said.

Ahire, who along with his five other office-bearers is sitting on the fast, said that wage-agreement is signed for years, adding, "The previous one expired on December 31, 2012 and since then the negotiations on the issue are going on."
He alleged that the company is dilly-dallying on the new wage settlement even after posting profit following installation of new machinery and the subsequent increase in productivity.
"But the management is avoiding new wage-agreement on one pretext or the other. On the contrary, the company wants us to scale up production by 8 per cent which is not acceptable to us," the union leader said.

The unions are ready to increase production by four per cent provided that they accept all our demands, including a wage hike of Rs 9,800, he said.