Maruti refuses to take back sacked workers

The management of Maruti Suzuki has offered the striking workers at its Manesar plant “adequate” representation in the company’s current union if they call off the agitation. But it has refused to accept the demand that the 11 workers, who allegedly kick-started the strike and were terminated from work, be reinstated.

The management said it was also willing to “sympathetically” consider their second demand of not imposing the no-work-no-pay policy on the striking workers if they returned to work. Under the policy, the management can cut salary for up to eight days for even one day of strike, which means a worker on strike at Manesar may lose more than two months of his pay.

Maruti Suzuki India human resource head S Y Siddiqui said: “We have offered them (the workers on strike) adequate representation in the existing independent union (Maruti Suzuki Kamgar Union). We are also ready to reduce the penalty to three-four days, instead of eight days, under the “no work, no pay” policy if they come back to work. But we have clearly told them there is no question of reinstating the 11 workers who have been sacked.”

Siddiqui said the tripartite talks among the representatives from the company, the workers and the state administration, which started Friday late night, continued on Saturday when these options were discussed.

Siddiqui made it clear Maruti would not recognise any union affiliated to a political party in the company, hinting at the proposed outfit the Manesar workers had applied for registration. Under their constitution, one-third of the members could come from outside the company ensuring entry of politically-affiliated trade unions.

The strike by the 2,500 workers at the Manesar plant entered the eighth day with a loss of under Rs 300 crore in turnover and production of 7,600 cars. The workers have been demanding recognition of a new union — Maruti Suzuki Employees Union — independent of the existing one that is dominated by workers of the Gurgaon plant.

Meanwhile, all the major trade unions in the Manesar-Gurgaon-Bawal belt had a meeting later half of the day to decide on plan of action.

All India Trade Union Congress general secretary V L Sachdeva said: “We have got indications from the management and the labour department that they are firm on their decision of not reinstating the 11 dismissed workers. However, they are considering our proposal of forming a new union. Our workers essentially demand two things: absorbing the 11 dismissed workers and recognition of the new union.”

The Haryana government yesterday passed orders declaring the strike as illegal.