Maruti Strike Cripples A-star After Swift

Published: Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 12:57 [IST]

The stand-off between Maruti Suzuki's striking workers and management is showing no signs of improvement. Workers representing the Maruti Suzuki Employees Union in Manesar have refused to talk to the management even when the Haryana labour ministered came in to negotiate. The minister Mr SCL Sharma has now blamed the workers for the breakdown of talks.

Maruti Suzuki has now revealed that the strike has also severely affected the exports of the A-Star hatchback. The small car is exported to various European the Asian countries as the Alto. The carmaker has said the reduced production had delayed the export of the A-Star.

Maruti Suzuki has increased production of the new Swift at Manesar and Gurgaon to 620 units on Tuesday. The firm has brought in some workers from Gurgaon to Manesar and has hired new workers to increase production after more than 2,000 workers decided to strike work on August 29th. About 1,100 workers are now working in Manesar's two plants.

The carmaker continues to hold to its opinion that workers have to sign its good conduct bond. Workers have presented their demands to the management and they have been rejected. The workers want all the 62 suspended workers to be reinstated. The labour minister himself has said that would not be possible considering that some of the workers have been booked under criminal cases.

The government has released three workers who were arrested on Monday on bail hoping to difuse the situation but it does not appear to have worked.