Thaindian News

New Delhi, Oct 11 (IANS) A strike at the country’s largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant continued for the fifth day Tuesday as a stand-off between striking workers and the management continued to affect output.

“The situation has been the same as yesterday. There has been absolutely no production even today at Manesar. The strike continues,” a company official told IANS.

The Manesar facility rolls out 1,200 units on an average in two shifts.

Workers at the Manesar plant went on strike Friday demanding reinstatement of 44 suspended co-workers, who were not taken back after an earlier 33-day impasse with the management ended Oct 1.

Of the 2,000 workers who went on strike on Oct 7 including all categories like regular, contractual, apprentices and trainees, 500 later chose not to continue.

The striking workers have also attacked co-workers who did not support the agitation and also supervisors and executives in multiple incidents damaging equipment and property, the company said.

The strike could not come at a more crucial time for the car manufacturer as it is the festive season which typically generates huge demand — something the automobile giant is in need of given the sluggishness witnessed in sales in recent month.

On Sunday, Maruti Suzuki had dismissed 10 workers, terminated five trainees and suspended 10 employees for having indulged in violence at the Manesar factory premises.

The strike comes within a week after workers agreed to sign a good conduct bond.

Production at the company’s Gurgaon plant also remained affected due to a strike at Suzuki Powertrain, which supplies diesel engines and transmission to Maruti cars. The output at the Gurgaon plant has come down to about 1,800 units, down from the normal 2,800 units.

Work also has been hit at Suzuki’s two other plants — Suzuki Motorcycle India and Suzuki Castings with the labour of these factories too joining the stir to express solidarity with striking workers of the car manufacturer.

Component suppliers to the auto giant are also a worried lot and have sought the Haryana government’s intervention to resolve the impasse.

“The labour problem at Maruti’s plant has severely impacted ancillary units and vendors which are supplying auto parts to the company,” said Gurgaon Udyog Association, president, Parveen Yadav.