Maruti Manesar plant unrest: What workers say

While reports say the scuffle was because of differences over wages, the company said, "The sequence of events began in the morning with a worker beating up a supervisor on the shop floor. The workers' union prevented the management from taking disciplinary action against the worker. They blocked the exit gates and held the executives hostage. To resolve the issue amicably, members of the senior management met the union. During the talks, the workers attacked the senior management."

Here is what the Maruti worker's union has to say:

"The Maruti Suzuki Workers Union (MSWU) is anguished at the recent developments in Maruti Suzuki plant, IMT Manesar where the management has resorted to anti-worker and anti-Union activities in a pre-planned manner leading to the closure of the factory yesterday. The management has done its utmost to derail the process negotiations and break the back of the spirit of unity of the workers and the legitimacy of the Union. As part of this vindictive attitude and in a pre-planned manner, yesterday, the afternoon of July 18, a supervisor in the shop floor abused and made casteist comments against a Dalit worker of the permanent category, which was legitimately protested by the worker. Instead of taking action against the said supervisor, the management immediately suspended the worker concerned without any investigation as was demanded by the workers."

"When the workers along with Union representatives went to meet the HR to demand against the supervisor and revoke the unjust suspension of the worker, the HR officials flatly refused to hear our arguments. When the negotiation was going on with the leaders of the Union, the management called in the entry of hundreds of bouncers on its payroll to attack the workers. This is completely an illegal vindictive action. The gates were closed by the security on behest of the management and the bouncers brutally attacked the workers with sharp weapons and arms. They, joined by some of the managerial staff and police later, beat up a number of workers who have had to be hospitalised with serious injuries. We are still keen to dialogue with the company and want to sit with the company management and the government labour department to amicably resolve the matter and restore industrial peace in the factory."

Ei Mochizuki, Suzuki's spokesman says:

• Production at Manesar plant continues to halt today and do not know when to resume.
• No damage to the factory's production line or facilities. Damages are only at the office.
• Violence started on July 18, late afternoon. The initiation of the violence comes from a worker beat its team leader in that morning, the reason not known yet. Over compensation or work? Not specified yet.
• One died. Two executives from japan were beaten up and hospitalized now.