The tool-down strike at auto component maker Mico Bosch’s Adugodi plant entered its third day on Saturday even as late evening tripartite negotiations remained inconclusive.
More than 2,500 workers at the facility have gone on strike protesting what they are terming “employee-unfriendly practices” at the plant. The second strike this year, this was triggered by a dispute between workers and supervisory staff, which ended in the issuing of three charge sheets, including one against a union office-bearer, members of the Mico Employee’s Association said.
These charge sheets are not an isolated case, said Prasanna Kumar, president of the union, who accused the management of consistently taking aggressive stances against employees on trivial issues. He said that the dispute was over an employee who had sought a gate pass for early exit owing to a death in his family. The union demanded the withdrawal of the charge sheets.
Mico Bosch, in a statement to the media, said the early exit was “without valid explanation and resulted in verbal and physical abuse of an office by a work man and union office-bearer”. It explained: “After due deliberation, a disciplinary action in form of charge sheet — in line with certified standing orders — has been issued against the identified workman.” The company pointed out that advance notice was not served.
Mr. Kumar said that on Sunday bilateral discussions would be held, and if it does not result in an agreement, the Labour Department has scheduled a conciliatory meeting for Monday. Wage negotiations have been on at all four plants of Bosch in India since January, when the earlier wage agreement expired.
