Toyota management-workers impasse takes new twist

A deadlock between the management and union of Toyota Kirloskar Motor took a new twist today after a lockout at its two plants at nearby Bidadi was lifted, with employees not resuming work as they objected to signing a good conduct undertaking.
The management, which had said it would lift the lockout after the government's conciliatory move last week, said it would keep the shifts running and the plants open for team members to join duty on the condition they would sign the "simple good conduct undertaking."
The union said the first shift employees were stopped at the gate as the management insisted they sign the undertaking, which they refused in line with their stand.

"We refused to sign, but they insisted on signing it and did not allow us inside," Toyota Kirloskar Motor Employees Union (TKMEU) President Prasanna Kumar told reporters here.
He said they had planned to meet the chief minister to seek his intervention. The chief minister's officials said he was in Mysore and he could not intervene directly as the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls is in place.
"According to our plea, the lockout has to be lifted unconditionally, suspension of 30 members has to be cancelled and all our problems relating to workload, unsafe work conditions, wage revisions have to be solved. Government has to intervene and solve these issues," he added.

Kumar said the management has kept 30 members in suspension, pending enquiry without issuing any chargesheet.

"The company will welcome any steps that the Government of Karnataka can take to resolve the matter at the earliest," Toyota Kirloskar Motor said in a statement.
Announcing its decision to lift the lockout implemented on March 16, Toyota Kirloskar Motor on Thursday had said the workers were welcome to resume work with effect from March 24 after signing a simple undertaking on good conduct.
The TKMEU general body on Saturday said they were ready to resume work but would not sign any undertaking.