Toyota stand off continues, union launches fast

As stand-off between employees and management of Toyota Kirloskar Motor over the lockout of two plants at Bidadi near here continues, employees union has begun indefinite day and night fast, while the company has called this action "regrettable".
"From yesterday 25 of us including myself have started indefinite hunger strike, we will be adding more people to this in the days to come. This will be day and night strike in front of the Bidadi plants gate...We won't leave this place until our demands are met," TKMEU (Toyota Kirloskar Motor Employees Union) President Prasanna Kumar told PTI.
He said they want the government to intervene and make sure that "we are back at work without any conditions."

The union had also made to complaints to the government one on the apprentice issue stating that they were being engaged in production without proper training, other on engaging contractors in production and recruitment of new workers, he said, adding, "we want government to take action."
"Our demand to the company is- to allow us to resume our work without any conditions and withdrawal of suspension of few of our employees," he added.
Reacting to the development, Toyota Kirloskar Motor in response to a query said, "It is regrettable that such actions have been taken."

While union says all 4,200 employees are together under the union and are currently outside, the company claims "some employees have been coming to work."

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 March 24 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.
While calling the Toyota unrest unfair, industry body Assocham in a statement today said: "The automobile sector, already sealing under difficult time, will have further set-back due to the strike in Toyota Motor."

It said "The sector has just started to move on recovery path and therefore, it will be in the interest of all the stakeholders to withdraw the strike and settle the matter amicably.