Maurti strike may spread; loss at Rs 270 crore

The strike at Maruti Suzuki India's plant in Manesar is threatening to spread to Gurgaon-Manesar belt, with a panel of workers of various firms in the region warning that a similar stir could hit others unless demands of their agitating colleagues' at India's largest carmaker are met.

Over 1,000 workers from different companies in the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt have gathered at the gate of Maruti Suzuki India's plant to stage a 'satyagraha' in support of the ongoing strike.

They are backing the demand for reinstatement of the 11 sacked employees of MSI and also recognise the newly-formed union at MSI's plant.

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"If the issues are not resolved immediately, then a similar strike can happen in other factories in the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt," AITUC Gurgaon district secretary Harjeet Grover, who is also the general secretary of HMSI Employees Union, told PTI.

He said a joint committee comprising representatives of all trade unions and various elected members from unions in different companies, including Hero Honda, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India and Rico Auto, has been formed.

"We are going to submit a memorandum today (Thursday) to the Gurgaon deputy commissioner requesting the reinstatement of the sacked 11 employees at Maruti's Manesar plant and allowing to form an union," Grover said.

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Meanwhile, Gurgaon deputy labour commissioner J P Mann is inside MSI's plant holding negotiations with the striking workers and the management.

When contacted the MSI spokesperson declined to comment.

Around 2,000 workers at MSI's plant here have been on strike since Saturday demanding recognition of a new union -- Maruti Suzuki Employees Union -- formed by those working at the Manesar plant, among other things.

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A large number of police personnel have also been deployed to prevent any untoward incident during the 'satyagraha'.

The strike at the plant continued for the sixth day and the production loss touched 5,400 units at an estimated value of Rs 270 crore (Rs 270 billion).

The company's scrip closed the day on the Bombay Stock Exchange at Rs 1,217.25 per share, down 0.72 per cent.

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Meanwhile, in a statement Maruti Suzuki India said its plants at Manesar and Gurgaon will be shut from June 20 to June 25 for annual maintenance as previously scheduled.

"These dates were decided at the start of the year, and the plant maintenance shut down has nothing to do with the current labour situation at the Manesar plant," it said.

Maruti Suzuki India has a planned maintenance shut down of its facilities, twice every year, the statement further said.