Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 7 (IANS) The workers’ strike at a Maruti Suzuki plant in Manesar in Haryana entered the fourth day Tuesday as talks with the management failed to achieve a breakthrough. Maruti says it has suffered a production loss of 3,000 cars.

“The talks are still on. But this strike is illegal as no intimation was given. We had literally no idea on why they went on the strike in the first place as they did not inform us,” R.C. Bhargava, chairman of Maruti Suzuki India, told IANS.

According to Bhargava, the company has suffered a production volume loss of around 3,000 cars till Tuesday, including the 600 units on the first day of the strike Saturday. The production loss has been pegged at around Rs.100 crore.

“Our losses are currently pegged at around 3,000 cars since Saturday,” he said, adding that the halt in production at the automobile giant’s facility will have a short-term impact.

“Currently dealers have enough stock of petrol segment cars, while a short-term effect may be felt for some diesel variants, which in itself is only 20 percent of our entire portfolio,” he said.

The company’s facility at Manesar produces the company’s bestseller hatchbacks and sedans like the Swift, the Swift Dezire, the A-Star and the SX4 on a single production line.

The majority of the automobile giant’s production takes place in its three Gurgaon-based facilities.

According to another Maruti official, the strike has the support of around 2,000-odd workers out whom 11 were sacked Monday for demanding recognition of a separate worker’s union at Manesar other than the one at the main plant at Gurgaon.

On the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Maruti scrip fell by 2.1 percent to an intra-day low of Rs.1,206 but recovered to close with a gain of 1.06 percent at Rs.1,245.