The battle at Bajaj Auto between the management and its recognised union has entered the courts.
The company’s case against the workers’ union, Vishwa Kalyan Kamgar Sanghatana (VKS), comes up for hearing in the Bombay High Court on April 4. The company has approached the court saying the termination of the existing settlement by the workers was unlawful and hence all proceedings related to the new settlement should be stayed, Kailash J Zanzari, VP, manufacturing, motorcycle, said.
The VKS union has in turn filed an application in the Pune Industrial Court demanding interim relief of R10,000 each to all workers from April 1, 2013. The case will be heard on March 28. “We want interim relief till a final settlement is arrived at,” VKS president Dilip Pawar said.
The fresh round of legal battle ensued after wage hike talks between the management and union failed to achieve a breakthrough. The wage hike of R9,000 to R10,000 offered by Bajaj Auto on February 15 was rejected by the workers. The hike was to come into effect after a written acknowledgment from the workers, which they refused to give. Pawar called it anti-labour practice. “Our demand is for R25,000 hike,” he said.
The company has stayed firm on not going beyond R10,000 hike. The workers have also demanded that all suspended workers be reinstated and allowed to return to work, which is acceptable to the company.
While relations between the workers and management have been strained, the issue has not affected regular motorcycle production at the Chakan plant. Production has not been disrupted even once in the last seven months.
Workers returned to duty after their 50-day strike between June-August, 2013 without any of their demands being met. They also lost their wages for 50 days.