The ongoing tool-down strike at utility vehicle maker Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M)?s Igatpuri plant seems to have taken a political turn with union members scheduled to meet Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday in Mumbai to discuss the matter.
The union has been asking for reinstatement of two workmen, including their leader Sunil Yadav, president of Bharatiya Kamgar Sangh, affiliated to Shiv Sena, who were suspended by the management on disciplinary grounds on April 9 following a fight between two workmen.
On Wednesday the tool-down strike entered its seventh day. The loss of production is seen at 7,000 units, while the loss in value terms is seen at around R15-18 crore per day. The Igatpuri plant employees a total of 1,500 workmen, including the ones on contract.
?We are continuing our strike and would not resume work till the two workmen are taken back by the management,? said a source in the union. ?We are meeting Uddhav Thackeray at 2 pm in Mumbai to discuss the matter,? he added. An email sent to M&M remained unanswered.
Indicating that plants such as Nashik, Chakan, Zaheerabad and Rudrapur are impacted by the Igatpuri strike with no engines to produce vehicles, a source in the Igatpuri union said, ?The plants are drying up with engine stocks and would be impacted in the days ahead.?
On discussions with the management about the new wage agreement, Nashik union sources said, ?There was no meeting today with the management but tomorrow (April 18), we and the management will be presenting the case in front of the labour commissioner in Nashik.?
He added that there is a change in the stand of the management, wherein they are ready to consider the union?s demand. The workmen at Nashik have been demanding a wage hike of R20,000 across various levels. ?We hope a decision will be arrived at soon,? the source added.
The three-year wage agreement of Nashik plant workmen expired on the February 6 and since then they have been paid as per the expired agreement.