Labour problems contriving at Hyundai Motor India

As the car maker Hyundai Motor India prepares for celebration of production and sales milestone of three million units, the labour problems surface at the Irrungattukottai plant of the company. Y.S. Chinnaraja, general secretary, Hyundai Motor India Employees Union, said that the company management is adopting delaying tactics. The management has not submitted its arguments to the six-member review committee as to why the 35 workers who were dismissed earlier need not be reinstated despite getting additional time.

The management of Hyundai Motor India and HMIEU has signed an MoU to end the strike of the workers by reinstating 67 dismissed employees. This Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the month of June in the presence of T.M Anbarasan, State Labour Minister. According to this MoU, a review committee had to be formed with six members. It was agreed that these members will include two representatives from the union, company management and labour commissioner office. The purpose of formation of the committee was to reinstate 35 dismissed employees, considering the case of each of them. The thirty two remaining dismissed workers have to seek legal recourse. Chinnaraja said that out of the 35 worker group, three workers decided to opt for one time settlement programme and at present, there are only 32 workers who have to be reinstated.

The union and the management were asked to present their arguments after the meeting of the review committee. Chinnaraja said that they submitted their argument at the July 24 meeting whereas the management wanted one month time to submit the same. When that was declined, the management representatives agreed to submit their arguments on July 31. Later on, the management representatives asked for even more time and were given the date of Aug 11. Hyundai Motor India has not elaborated much on this issue but the production at the company has stopped in June since the workers called for strike. These labours are demanding the reinstatement of all the dismissed workers and also the recognition of their union.