Maruti Suzuki India on Tuesday reopened its Manesar plant amid heavy security, a month after a lockout was declared due to the violence in which one senior company official was killed and 100 others injured.
“Production has resumed at the Maruti Suzuki Manesar plant this morning,” a company spokesperson said.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Yogender Nehra, said a total of 1,200-1,500 policemen, including 540 from India Reserve Battalion (IRB), have been deployed inside and outside the plant.
“We have not got any information of any untoward incident inside the plant so far. Forces will be here till industrial peace is established in the region,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Gurgaon Police Commissioner K K Sindhu also inspected the security arrangement in the plant. MSI has also formed its own special force numbering 100, which includes ex-service men.
The company had earlier announced that only 300 permanent workers will resume work in a single shift.
Villagers from adjoining area of the plant expressed their support to the company. “We will do whatever possible to help the company and restore normalcy,” Kasan Village Sarpanch Ramesh Singh Chauhan said.
MSI has also decided to terminate services of 500 permanent workers, who were allegedly found to be involved in violence inside the plant. Besides, MSI is also said to be planning to remove another 500 contract workers over their alleged role in the violence and arson.
Initially, about 150 cars are expected to be rolled out every day instead of the plant’s normal capacity of 1,500- 1,700 units. Production will be gradually ramped up at the plant, which has an annual capacity of 5.5 lakh units.
The company had earlier announced that only 300 permanent workers will resume work. Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Chief Operating Officer (Administration) S Y Siddiqui had said on Monday that the workers would operate just a single shift from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m..
The company had declared a lockout at Manesar plant on July 21 following the worst ever violence in its history on July 18. The plant suffered damages estimated to be less than Rs. 10 crore, while the overall production loss during the lockout was pegged at around Rs. 1,400 crore.
Prior to the incident, the plant had employee strength of 3,300, of which 1,528 were permanent.
To increase the workforce, the company will start fresh recruitment of permanent workers from September 2 and existing contract workers will also be considered for the same.
Keywords: Maruti Manesar plant, Maruti Suzuki, labour unrest, Manesar plant violence, Maruti workers strike, Maruti lockout
It is a bold and good decision by Maruti to open the plant and sack the
erring workers. Nobody in their good senses would object to a company
sacking violent employees. Protesting MPs should keep their mouths shut
if they cannot be reasonable.
I think what the MPs have asked for, is their political compulsions. Had
any MP's brother been killed in place of the IR Chief, I think his tone
could have definitely been otherwise. The decision of the Company should
be hailed to send a strong signal to indisciplined / brutal work force.
I am surprised if higher compensation against the Officer's death could
be an alternative to his living family who lost him for ever.
All who involved in the death of senior official & all who responsible for the damage of property should be punished so that such incidents not repeat again. If trade unions now taking about the job of the terminated 500 regular employes then why they don't speak about the death of a senior officer? if they don't get punishment then they again repeat such things.
It is normally the demand of trade unions for heavy compensation for
a worker's death, and demand thsat management bears the compensatory amount. Now that a senior officer is killed by the trade unionists, will the trade union and its members come forward to offer compensation? If discipline is always at a discoount in a trade union movement, it is feared India, that is Bharat, will not progress.
It is ironic that MPs clamour for reinstatement of workers sacked for indiscipline and for the murder of a senior officer. Will the MPs and the trade unionists come forward for offer of heavy compensation for the officer's death. It is ironic. The speaker or chairman of the
lok sabha and rajya sabha can ignore the indiscipline for fear of policial compulsions, but the industrial entreprenuer cannot give a go bye in case of increasing output and profit.
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