M A I N   N E W S

13-day strike at Maruti ends
Management to reinstate 11 sacked employees
Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, June 16
The 13-day strike at Maruti Suzuki Ltd’s Manesar plant was called off today after the management decided to reinstate 11 sacked employees.

The workers have agreed to resume work, though they have asked for a holiday tomorrow (to be compensated later). An enquiry would be held against the sacked (now reinstated) employees, but there will be no vindictive approach, the management stated.

The work and conduct of the employees will be observed for two months and if it is found to be satisfactory, salary of only 13 days (strike period) will be deducted, whereas there is a provision to deduct up to eight days’ salary in lieu of each strike day.

Earlier, certain members of certain Left-wing trade unions sabotaged the tripartite talks among Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) management, workers and senior Haryana government functionaries, which began around 2 p.m. here today and went on till 10 p.m. Workers demands included formation of a separate workers union at the MSI Manesar plant and unconditional reinstatement of 11 employees sacked by the management. Sources said that representatives of MSI Manesar plant workers attending the meeting did not have the authority to take decisions and kept calling trade union leaders for directions after being offered a compromise formula.

MSI has suffered losses of Rs 500 crore due to the stir. Heavy financial losses have also been suffered by Maruti’s ancillary units and transporters etc.