Production at Manesar plant to reach normalcy by year end

The year 2011 has not turned out to be quite good for Maruti Suzuki India. The company had faced recurring strikes for three times this year. The latest 14 day strike, which ended on October 21^st has left the Maruti India shaken from the roots. Though the work environment is normal at the Manesar factory premises, the factory is said to reach the usual production levels only by December end. The Manesar plant had been rolling out 1200 cars of Maruti Swift, Maruti SX4 and Maruti A-star in a day until the first 13 day strike at the plant began in June this year. A company insider has informed that the management is slowly strategizing to increase the production at the plant to reach the normal levels. 

The recent strike has come to an end after the Haryana Government brokered the talks between the company management and the worker representatives to bring out an amicable solution to both the parties. The recent strike has accounted for over Rs 700 crores loss for the company. During the root cause analysis for the recent strikes at the plants, the company has found nothing wrong with the management practices at the factory. The entire blame has been laid upon the miscommunication between the management and the workers. The first workers protest at the Manesar plant began in June with their demand for the recognition of their proposed Maruti Suzuki Employee Union (MSEU) that lasted for 13 days incurring a heavy production loss of 12,600 cars translating to Rs 630 crores. 

Fresh surge of protests started on August 29^th after the management forced the workers to sign the ‘good conduct bond’ after few workers tried to sabotage the production at the plants. The one month impasse came to an end on October 1^st, but initiated again from October 7^th when the workers demanded to reinstate the 1200 contract labourers and 50 dismissed or suspended employees during the strike period apart from the long standing demand to reinstate the 44 workers from the previous strike. However, as a part of peace agreement, the company has accepted to induct 64 workers and 1,200 contract workers as well. In addition, the company has offered to form a ‘Labour Welfare committee’ and ‘Grievance Redressal committee’ to avoid further mishappenings.

Read More on : Maruti Ritz