Former Chief Ministers Siddaramaiah and H.D. Kumaraswamy, who have been trading barbs against each other in recent weeks, on Sunday spoke on an unified issue — urging the State government to intervene in solving the deadlock at Toyota Kirloskar plant in Bidadi near here.
“The management of Toyota has declared a lockout in one of the plants in Bidadi. The protest by the workers has entered 40th day and the management has so far not come forward for talks,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said in a letter to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, in which he also expressed concern over the situation in Wistron, which witnessed violence last week, and Arvind Fashions where workers have been protesting for 20 days. “While the government does not care if workers protest peacefully for weeks or months, it brands them as thieves, dacoits and arsonists if the protests turn violent. Using police, false cases are being foisted against the workers,” he said.
The former Chief Minister said that labour laws have been framed under the Constitution to find solution to the working class and one needs maturity, humane attitude and statesmanship to find solutions. He urged the Chief Minister to bring both managements and workers to the table to find solutions. Mr. Siddaramaiah also took exceptions to the way in which the Wistron’s violence was being spoken about by Ministers.
Meanwhile, in a series of tweets on Sunday, Mr. Kumaraswamy said: “The solution does not appear to be in sight though the strike by the employees of Toyota Kirloskar’s Bidadi plant is completing two months. The differences between the workers and management, and the government’s apathy may also be the reasons for such a situation. But there is a dire need to put an end to the impasse in the interest of the State’s industrial development.”
Blaming the middle managers of the company for the crisis, he said that 3,000 workers have been pushed into the street. “I myself have held several meetings in a bid to resolve the workers’ crisis. It appears clear that the managers between the management and the workers are trying to create confusion as well as problems. It is important to note that these managerial personnel are not from either this region or the State.” It is not proper on the part of the companies that thrive by utilising our land, water, air and infrastructure to behave in such a cruel manner with our own people, he added.
Urging the government to intervene in the matter urgently, he said: “The government should understand that resolving the labour crisis would benefit the State.”
