October 11, 2011 / 12:05 IST
The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers today condemned the alleged violence inside Maruti's Manesar plant, but said workers have a "right of collective bargain".
"Law-and-order situation arising out of the current situation (inside Maruti Suzuki's Manesar plant) is highly condemnable. Nobody can support any form of violence," the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) President S Sandilya told reporters here.
SIAM "hopes" that the government will immediately intervene to bring the situation under control and will take action against the guilty, he added.
Talking about the agreement that was mediated by the Haryana government and signed between the Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) management and worker representatives, Sandilya said both parties should respect it.
"Commitments given by unions and associations, and then not abiding by them disturbs us a lot. In MSI's case, workers signed a pact that was brokered by the government and then broke it within three days. This is not a healthy sign. SIAM strongly protests violation of agreement," he added.
Sandilya, however, said workers also have their basic rights and nobody should "go beyond" the law.
"Workers have a right of collective bargain, but the management also have the right to implement the laws of the land... Rights come with responsibility," he added.
Workers at MSI's Manesar plant went on stay-in strike on Friday afternoon completely affecting production at the plant.
The number of workers, who went on strike, was around 2,000, including regular, contractual, apprentices and trainees.
The number, however, came down to about 1,500 after the company "rescued" some workers, who were "held under duress".
The company alleged that the striking workers attacked co-workers, supervisors and executives in multiple incidents of violence and damaged factory properties inside the plant.
The workers, however, denied any such acts and said they were "manhandled by company bouncers". They have gone on strike demanding reinstatement of casual workers and 44 permanent employees, who were suspended during the 33-day-long standoff that ended on October 1 after signing an agreement.
As per the agreement, the company had agreed to conditionally take back 18 trainees who were suspended.
The workers in turn had agreed to sign the 'good conduct bond', which said that they would "not resort to go slow, intermittent stoppage of work, stay-in-strike, work-to-rule, sabotage or otherwise indulge in any activity, which would hamper the normal production in the factory".
In June also, MSI had witnessed a 13-day-long strike at the Manesar plant by the workers demanding recognition of a new labour body -- Maruti Suzuki Employees Union (MSEU). The stir had resulted in a production loss of 12,600 cars, which were valued at about Rs 630 crore.
