The ‘tools down’ strike at auto major Mahindra and Mahindra’s plant here entered the third day on Thursday even as the company claimed to have suffered a production loss of 500 units due to the ongoing labour unrest.
Around 3,000 workers at the Nashik manufacturing facility, which produces Scorpio, Bolero and Xylo models of SUVs and Verito (sedan), are taking part in the agitation demanding revocation of the suspension orders of one of their union leaders Praveen Shinde, a union leader said.
Shirish Bhavsar, President of Mahindra and Mahindra employees union said that Deputy labour Commissioner, R S Jadhav has called for a joint meeting of office bearers of the union and representatives from the management this afternoon to discuss the issue.
According to Anil Godbole, General Manager (HR), Nashik unit, both sides are hoping for an amicable settlement today after talks remained inconclusive on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a hunger-strike by Union’s General Secretary Praveen Shinde and Vice-President Amol Sonawane entered the 4th day today, as they kept pressing for their demands on wage hike.
The Nashik plant management had said that Mr Shinde was suspended pending inquiry for allegedly disrupting production.
Mahindra and Mahindra in a statement issued on Thursday said that the agitation by employees of Nashik plant, which started on March 5, is continuing and the company has had a production loss of around 500 vehicles till date.
The production loss, however, will not have any immediate impact on sales as the company already has three weeks’ stock in the pipeline, the statement said.
The facility produces around 550 vehicles per day.
The workers had threatened an indefinite strike from March 11 if their ongoing wage negotiations with the management are not finalised by March 9.
A USD 15.9 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, Mahindra employs more than 155,000 people in over 100 countries.
