Suzuki Motorcycle India suspends three workers

Less than six months after a labour strife at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar facility in Haryana, tension seems to be brewing in the company’s two-wheeler arm, Suzuki Motorcycle India Limited (SMIL). Its management has suspended three office-bearers in the workers’ union at its Gurgaon factory, over the issue of incentives in the wage settlement agreement. BSE | NSE Price Maruti Suzuki Click here for Cloud Computing Also Read Related Stories News Now - Folks wagon - Boot it - Maruti Suzuki to enter MPV segment with Ertiga - Nissan works on low-cost cars for Indian market - Decision on diesel engine plant at Gurgaon in 2 months: Maruti - Drive your dream petrol car as prices dip in second-hand market According to workers, the company had — around July last year — revised and inked a new wage settlement agreement for three years, but the management has now refused to implement some pending demands. This goes against the clauses in the pact signed eight months ago, notes the Suzuki Motorcycle India Employees Union (SMIEU). “What’s more, they misbehaved with our general secretary,” according to Anil Kumar, president. “This morning, without any reason they put up a notice saying three employees have been suspended.” The union has, however, decided not to go on a strike. Instead, it seeks to resolve the issue through dialogue. “We have been trying to talk to them,” informed Kumar. “They want us to go on strike, so that they can suspend us. They have called the police inside the factory premises. But we will solve the problem through talks.” No official comment could be obtained from the company, but a senior executive accepted that three people had been suspended. All of them — SMIEU union general secretary Avinesh Kumar, vice-president Parminder Kumar and organising secretary Gulshan Kumar — are office-bearers of the employees’ union. Kumar informed that some demands regarding incentives were pending, and the management had promised to settle those within six months from the formulation of the new agreement. When the six-month period ended in December last year, the union started sending notices to the management to hold a meeting and settle the pending issues, but in vain, he claimed. “On Wednesday, when we went and discussed the issues with them, the company’s HR vice-president Anil Munjal misbehaved with our general secretary,” Kumar alleged. Following this, a tripartite meeting was held yesterday between the Haryana government’s labour department officials, SMIL management and the workers’ representatives.