8,000 employees go on indefinite strike, demanding reappointment of contract workers at Manesar plant.
Workers across the three subsidiaries of Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) in India went on an indefinite strike on Friday, the second one in 30 days, demanding the re-appointment of contract workers at Maruti Suzuki India Limited's (MSIL) Manesar plant. The contract workers had been laid off during the 33-day standoff last month.
An estimated 8,000 workers at the three subsidiaries—MSIL's Manesar plant, Suzuki Powertrain India Limited (SPIL) and Suzuki Motorcycle India Private Limited—stopped work this evening, affecting shifts across the facilities. Workers said work was also affected at three separate companies, Hi-Lex India Global Network, Endurance Transmission India Limited and Satyam Auto Components Limited.
The strike comes within a week of the MSIL management and workers reaching an agreement to end the labour unrest which had continued through the last month. There are around 2,000 workers at the Manesar facility, of which 700 are regular employees. The company claimed 170 regular workers had not joined the sit-in strike, initiated by other workers at the unit.
The company brushed aside allegations that the workers were protesting due to non-absorption of contractual employees, which the management had earlier agreed to. “That is a non-issue. We are gradually ramping up our production at Manesar, including our new 250,000 capacity Manesar B assembly plant. Many of the contract workers are likely to be absorbed in the expanded operations. This has been communicated to the contractual workers through their employers”.
“Work at both Suzuki Powertrain and the Manesar plants has been affected because of workers going on strike. We could produce only 300 cars at Manesar today,” the company said.
Suber Singh Yadav, president, Suzuki Powertrain India Union, confirmed the strike. He said all 5,000 workers at the company had stopped work in the afternoon, in solidarity with the protesting workers at MSIL's Manesar plant.
“Workers across casting, transmission and engine plants have stopped work. The MSIL management had agreed to take back all the contract workers when the agreement was reached. However, they now refuse to do so. Now, we will only resume work when all the contract workers at Manesar are taken back,” Yadav said.The company said, “This action by the workers clearly violates the agreement they had signed with the management on October 1, in the presence of the Haryana government. It is a breach of faith, a mockery.”
SPIL is a joint venture between Maruti Suzuki and Suzuki Motor Corporation at Manesar. It manufactures diesel engines and transmissions for Maruti cars. SMC holds 70 per cent equity in SPIL, while the rest is held by Maruti Suzuki. Another 1,200 workers at Suzuki Motorcycle India Limited also decided to go on a strike for an indefinite period, citing solidarity with MSIL workers.
