The Labour Minister of Maharashtra, Hassan Mushrif is planning to call the management of Bajaj Auto in the third week of July 2013 for a meeting to pacify the worker's strike at the Chakan plant that has reached over 17 days. With a meeting among the leaders of the union, the minister reported that he has asked chief labour commissioner to arrange talks with the management and the union in Pune in the coming days. “If the meeting fails to resolve the agitation, I will call the Bajaj management here next week,” Mushrif said.
Representatives of the company's Chakan plant union and Shramaik Ekta Mahasangh, which claimed representation of 88 unions in Chakan, Pimpri-Chinchwad and adjoining areas, called the concerned minister and informed him about the workers expectations. “We met the minister as we wanted to keep him abreast of the development and also our demands, which the management has failed to accept,” said Dilip Pawar, the President of Bajaj Auto Union.
Close to 1,500 employees, which include 600-odd on contract as well as temporary workers, have stopped work at the Chakan plant since June 25, as they are demanding a raise in salary, better work conditions, along with withdrawal of 'fake and filmsy' cases slapped on 21 employees, plus big stock options. The talks with the ministers came at a day after talks within the management and union became unsuccessful at resolving the deadlock. The Pune labour commissioner issued a show cause notice to company some days ago, allowing it three days to react, over the alleged placement of contract workers which were not on contract at the plant.
“We will not take back our agitation as long as the management does not withdraw the suspension/ transfer orders of 21 employees. We are ready to negotiate on our other demands including wage revision if these employees are taken back,” the minister said. In the meantime, Bajaj Auto was quoted as saying that “around 635 workers reported to work today and it plans to produce more than 1800 vehicles at Chakan and 950 Pulsars at Waluj.”
“More than 90 per cent of our requirement of all brands of Pulsar, Avenger and KTM will be achieved today,” the statement said adding the management and union along with the Labour Commissioner.
