Permanent workers kept out, alleges Toyota union

Toyota Kirloskar Workers Union (TKMEU) today alleged the company is using apprentices and contractors as alternate work force in line of production, as the deadlock between the management and the union continues over the lockout at two plants at Bidadi near here.
"Permanent workers are kept out and apprentices, contract workers are being used by the management as the alternate work force to run the units for production," TKMEU President Prasanna Kumar told PTI.
In response to a question he said "contract workers, apprentices and supervisors all together around 3,000 employees are being used to run the plant; ....There are about 1,700 apprentices."

"They are able to run one shift; ....Unskilled workers are being engaged in direct line of production without proper training," he added.
The company did not respond to calls today but it had yesterday denied reports regarding recruitment of contract workers and apprentices, saying: "It's absolutely untrue that Toyota is running its plants using 1,000 contract workers and 2,000 apprentices."
"We have started limited plant operations with the help of non-unionised team members, of whom majority are supervisors and engineers," it had said.

Earlier as well, employee Unions had alleged that the company had started running the plant using contract workers and apprentices.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor, the subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp of Japan, had on March 16 declared a lockout, following the failure of talks between the management and the union over wage negotiation.
The Union is demanding a wage hike of Rs 4,000 as against Rs 3,050 proposed by the management.
The deadlock took a new twist on Monday after a lockout at two plants was lifted, with employees not resuming work as they objected to signing a good conduct undertaking as demanded by the company.
Prasanna Kumar said "We had met Chief Minister yesterday requesting for his intervension, we have submitted him a memorandum. He told us- he will check about the matter with concerned officials."

TKMEU General Secretary R Satish said "daily we are going there with hope that they may allow us to resume work, but we are not being allowed.