The labour commissioner of Pune has called the management of Bajaj Auto for a conciliatory meeting with the Vishwa Kalyan Kamgaar Sanghatana, the labour union at the company’s plant in Chakan and Pune. This meeting is scheduled to be held at the labour commissioners office in Pune on Thursday, February 1. The labour commissioner had called both disputing parties on Tuesday but only the labour union representatives were present. The company representatives did not make it for the meeting, so another meeting has been scheduled for Thursday. This follows the indefinite hunger strike by VKKS president, Dilip Pawar from January 29 to press for wage settlement revision which Pawar said was delayed by 10 months. Apart from the wage settlement, the workers are also protesting against termination of eight workers and transfer of six.
The labour commissioner’s office confirmed that they have called for a tripartite meeting. The Bajaj Auto management has said that these matters are pending before the industrial court, Pune and Bombay high court.
Meanwhile, more than 100 union in the Pune region have extended support to the VKKS, Balasaheb Thorave, union’s general secretary said. The VKKS is affiliated to the Shramik Ekta Mahasangh, an umbrella organisation of 56 unions in the industrial belt of Pune, Chakan and Talegaon.
