Ten days into a workers? strike that crippled production at Maruti?s Manesar facility, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda met the company?s senior officials in an attempt to end the stalemate. Hooda is learnt to have supported the workers’ demand that the company reinstate 11 people who were dismissed on disciplinary grounds last week. However, Maruti is yet to make a final call on the issue.
Hooda also directed the state labour commissioner to ensure that a compromise is reached and the strike withdrawn at the earliest to resume production from Tuesday. A senior official from the chief minister’s office confirmed the development without revealing details, merely adding the CM has received some assurance from Maruti.
Over the last few days, several government officials have met the striking workers and the management to break the deadlock.
While it seemed Maruti was willing to reach a compromise on Sunday by recognising the Maruti Suzuki Employees Union (MSEU) if workers dropped their demand to have the freedom to appoint one-third of the 11 office-bearers from outside, the workers stood their ground and declared a two-hour tool-down strike across the Gurgaon-Manesar belt on Tuesday. Maruti?s compromise formula proposes a new structure where each facility will have its individual representatives. At the apex would be a governing council with membership drawn from representatives of the two plants. Maruti?s managing executive officer (HR, administration and IT) SY Siddiqui had said that the company was willing to recognise a new representation from Manesar workers till the time they adhered to the broad trade union principles followed by the company over the last 27 years. National secretary of All India Trade Union Congress DL Sachdev welcomed Hooda?s efforts, expressing hope that the strike would soon be over. Over the last one week, Sachdev along with AITUC general secretary Gurudas Dasgupta have met Hooda thrice. Maruti Suzuki?s production loss has touched 9,000 units, costing an estimated Rs 300 crore. Following the strike production for company?s marquee brands like SX4, Dzire and A Star have been severely impacted. Company officials also claimed that 40 workers left the Manesar plant site on Monday refusing to be a part of the ongoing agitation. Maruti Suzuki?s share price on the BSE closed down 0.17% at R1,227.60.