)
The ongoing strike at Bajaj Auto Ltd’s Chakan plant near Pune entered the 12th day on Saturday, with the agitating employees seeking support from other unions in the neighbourhood and threatening to intensify the agitation.
The striking workers have refused to soften their demands, including allotment of the company’s shares to them at discounted rates, which have been rejected by management. Bajaj Auto has lost nearly 20,000 units in production since the strike began on June 25.
The company says worker attendance has consistently improved in the last one week, indicating reducing support for the strike called by the Vishwa Kalyan Kamgar Sanghatna (VKKS).
“Production is almost 2,400 (a day), that is 80 per cent of normal (production),” said Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto. The usual level at which the Chakan plant operated before the strike was 3,000 units per day.
Production had slumped to 200 units the day when strike had begun, following which at least nine employees were arrested for charges like kidnapping, physical assault, damaging private property and intimidation.
“An increasing number of people are coming to work since the strike is likely to be declared illegal,” Bajaj added. Of the 900 permanent workers and nearly 600 workers spread across four other verticals, around 200 had reported to duty earlier. The number has been gradually increasing and presently, is at 550.
The company filed a petition early this month in an industrial court to declare the strike as illegal. It had also petitioned for a daily hearing on the case. The next hearing will be held on July 8. At least 13 employees were suspended, while a few were transferred to the Aurangabad plant.
The striking workers demand increment in wages, allotment of the company’s equity shares at discounted rates, reinstating suspended workers and bringing back transferred workers to Chakan.
Shramik Ekta Mahasangh (SEM), an umbrella organisation of trade unions, has threatened mass stoppage of work in the Chakan and nearby Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial belt. The organisation, which claims to have the support of 88 trade unions in the region, and is affiliated with the Industrial All (Global) Union of Geneva, has asked the state government to to intervene in the matter to resolve the crisis.
“We are taking up this issue to several authorities like the ministry of labour, the Labour Commission and home minister of Maharashtra. The Bajaj Auto management is extremely unfair to workers and treating them as slaves, said Keshav Gholve, general secretary, SEM. “Unfortunatley, the concerned authorities have remained mum on labour issues and always ignored our demands. The licences given to contractors for providing workers in industries should be questioned because there is nexus between management and contractors.”
SEM is holding a meeting on Sunday and will decide the further course of action.
Added Dilip Pawar, president of VKKS: “The Bajaj Auto management and the Labour Commission are extremely ignorant about this issue. The matter is pending from the last eight months before Labour Commission and no action has been taken.”
The striking workers have refused to soften their demands, including allotment of the company’s shares to them at discounted rates, which have been rejected by management. Bajaj Auto has lost nearly 20,000 units in production since the strike began on June 25.
The company says worker attendance has consistently improved in the last one week, indicating reducing support for the strike called by the Vishwa Kalyan Kamgar Sanghatna (VKKS).
“Production is almost 2,400 (a day), that is 80 per cent of normal (production),” said Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto. The usual level at which the Chakan plant operated before the strike was 3,000 units per day.
Production had slumped to 200 units the day when strike had begun, following which at least nine employees were arrested for charges like kidnapping, physical assault, damaging private property and intimidation.
“An increasing number of people are coming to work since the strike is likely to be declared illegal,” Bajaj added. Of the 900 permanent workers and nearly 600 workers spread across four other verticals, around 200 had reported to duty earlier. The number has been gradually increasing and presently, is at 550.
The company filed a petition early this month in an industrial court to declare the strike as illegal. It had also petitioned for a daily hearing on the case. The next hearing will be held on July 8. At least 13 employees were suspended, while a few were transferred to the Aurangabad plant.
The striking workers demand increment in wages, allotment of the company’s equity shares at discounted rates, reinstating suspended workers and bringing back transferred workers to Chakan.
Shramik Ekta Mahasangh (SEM), an umbrella organisation of trade unions, has threatened mass stoppage of work in the Chakan and nearby Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial belt. The organisation, which claims to have the support of 88 trade unions in the region, and is affiliated with the Industrial All (Global) Union of Geneva, has asked the state government to to intervene in the matter to resolve the crisis.
“We are taking up this issue to several authorities like the ministry of labour, the Labour Commission and home minister of Maharashtra. The Bajaj Auto management is extremely unfair to workers and treating them as slaves, said Keshav Gholve, general secretary, SEM. “Unfortunatley, the concerned authorities have remained mum on labour issues and always ignored our demands. The licences given to contractors for providing workers in industries should be questioned because there is nexus between management and contractors.”
SEM is holding a meeting on Sunday and will decide the further course of action.
Added Dilip Pawar, president of VKKS: “The Bajaj Auto management and the Labour Commission are extremely ignorant about this issue. The matter is pending from the last eight months before Labour Commission and no action has been taken.”
