M A I N   N E W S

More cops than workers as Maruti plant reopens
Sunit Dhawan/TNS

Manesar/Gurgaon, Aug 21
Partial production operations commenced at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant, which reopened after more than a month today. The company management had declared a lockout at the plant following violence and arson on its premises on July 18.

Nearly 500 policemen, apart from 100 security personnel of the company, stood guard as around 300 regular workers reported to resume their duties at the plant amidst intermittent showers and drizzling this morning.

Production operations were carried out in a single shift from 8 am to 4.30 pm. Initially, the plant is slated to produce only 150 cars per day as against its usual production capacity of 1,500 cars.

Official sources said the production will be gradually scaled up in a phased manner. The company will also begin a fresh recruitment drive from September 2, in which the contractual workers will also get a chance to be absorbed as regular employees, subject to the fulfillment of eligibility criteria.

The MSIL management has sacked 546 regular workers, while nearly 1,800 contractual workers earlier employed at the plant are also out of job as of now.

The move followed violence and arson at the plant, which left a general manager (HR) dead and nearly 100 senior executives, managers and supervisors injured.

A special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the Haryana Police has arrested nearly 150 workers in connection with violence, arson and attack on company managers. The company had declared a lockout at the plant on July 21.