Bajaj Auto management has said it would not hesitate in shifting production from its Chakan plant to Aurangabad unit if the production is disrupted due to workers? union agitation.
Kailash J Zanzari, VP at manufacturing, motorcycle, Bajaj Auto, said production at the Chakan plant would not suffer and talks with workers were still on. ?If need arises, we can shift Chakan plant production to other facilities as our manufacturing lines are flexible,? Zanzari said.
Zanzari said the company may not take much time or efforts in shifting the production.
Meanwhile, Vishwa Kalyan Kamgar Sanghatana (VKS) presidents Dilip Pawar said he would start his hunger strike at a location opposite Akurdi plant of Bajaj Auto on February 16.
Pawar said he would sit on the fast alone and would not be joined in by the workers. The move, he said, would ensure that production at the plant does not suffer. The Chakan plant makes Pulsar, KTM and Kawasaki Ninja bikes.
The company had shifted the production to Waluj plant in Aurangabad even last time when the workers went for an indefinite strike.
A 50-day strike in 2013 had made Bajaj Auto shift motorcycle production to the Aurangabad unit. The lines are flexible and can produce the motorcycles made at Chakan, Zanzari said.
This time too, the company would not want any loss in production, he said. This back-up plan is always there and workers need to know that there are consequences if production suffers, Zanzari said.
The negotiations started with 100% hike, then come down to 80% and yesterday it had reached around 60% to 65%, Zanzari said. The company gave around 30% to 32% hikes when the Bajaj management recently signed a wage agreement with the VKS union for the Akurdi plant. There are around 130 workers are working in R&D and spare parts department. Though the umbrella union was VKS the negotiating teams were different, says Zansari.