After beginning the tool-down strike at some factories on Tuesday morning, workers in up to 65 plants in the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt have postponed the symbolic two-hour stir by a day following an appeal by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
All India Trade Union Congress, along with other unions such as the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, are supporting the ongoing 11-day strike at Maruti Suzuki's
Manesar plant.
Workers in the Gurgaon-Manesar region had planned a two-hour tool-down strike in their respective plants in support of Maruti workers.
"The two-hour strike has been called-off for today on the appeal of the Chief Minister and the Labour Commissioner. They sought a day's time to resolve the issue. Consequently, the strike has been postponed for 24 hours," AITUC Secretary D L
Sachdev told PTI.
Workers at some factories had started the protest in the morning, but withdrew it within half an hour following the request from the Chief Minister, he added.
"The labour department informed us that it has called the Maruti management today afternoon to sort out the issues.
"We will wait for the outcome to decide our future course of action," Sachdev said.
Meanwhile, a company spokesperson said the production has continued to be completely affected.
"The situation is the same as yesterday. The strike is continuing and production at the plant is stopped," the official said.
Earlier in the morning Sachdev had said: "The tool-down strike has started and about 60-65 factories' workers are taking part in it.
"If in a day or two, no solution comes out, then workers will go on for a full-day strike".
CITU Haryana State President Satvir Singh said a meeting between the state government officials, company management and workers is expected today and if nothing positive happens,
On Monday, a tripartite meeting between the government, MSI management and striking workers failed to reach any agreement as the company refused to accept any new union at the plant.
"It is very unfortunate that the company is retracting its own statement. Just a day after it had said that it was willing to consider separate local unions at each plant, the management simply refused to accept any new union and asked us to be a part of the existing union," the newly formed Maruti Suzuki Employees Union's general secretary Shiv Kumar said.
MSI managing executive officer (administration) S Y Siddiqui on Monday ruled out compromising on having a non-affiliated union at the Manesar plant.
Currently the company has one recognised union -- Maruti Udyog Kamgar Union -- which is dominated by workers at the Gurgaon plant.
The striking workers are demanding the recognition of a new union -- Maruti Suzuki Employees Union -- formed by those working at the Manesar plant, among other things.
Cracking the whip, the company fired 11 workers last week for allegedly inciting others to go on strike.
On Sunday, however, the company said it was willing to recognise the new union -- the main demand of the workers.
The workers also said they are willing to end the stir provided 11 of their sacked colleagues are reinstated.
About 2,000 workers at the plant have been on strike since June 4, resulting in a loss of about Rs 450 crore (Rs 4.5 billion) for 9,000 units till Monday.
Earlier, Communist Party of India leader and Member of Parliament Gurudas Dasgupta had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene and find an amicable solution to the impasse.
Dasgupta had met Hooda thrice to end the strike.
The Manesar plant rolls out about 1,200 units every day in two shifts. The factory produces hatchbacks Swift and A-Star and sedans DZiRE and SX4.
