Labour unrest at Hyundai Motor

A section of the employees at Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) plant near Chennai went on a strike on Tuesday affecting production.

While a leader of the union estimated that the loss due to a day’s production at Rs.63 crore, the company management said the section of employees disrupted work affecting production for about 78 minutes. “Hyundai Motor India produces 2,000 cars every day and the production loss because of the work disruption is estimated to be 59 cars,” a statement from HMIL said.

Hyundai Motor India Employees Union general secretary R.Sridhar said the strike was in support of various demands, including recognition of the Union, which is affiliated to the CITU, and reinstatement of 27 workers dismissed in 2008. It was also in support of wage revision. Claiming that majority of the workers was with the Union, he said though the company managed to maintain production with temporary staff, the quality of the vehicles was not the same. The strike notice was given in February, he added. The company said a section of “its workers, approximately 130 workers representing the minority CITU-affiliated HMIEU disrupted work illegally.”

The statement said “the company had already recognised United Union of Hyundai Employees as the official union, which has a majority membership and a wage agreement was signed on October 18. The company is categorical that it will not recognise any other union.”