Maruti Suzuki to not sack more Manesar workers, Osamu Suzuki tells Haryana CM

Maruti Suzuki India will not hand out any more pink slips to workers of the Manesar plant , Suzuki Motor Corp Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Osamu Suzuki has assured Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Suzuki, however, but at the same time ruled out reinstating the 500 sacked employees following the violence at the facility on July 18.

Suzuki, who was accompanied by MSIL chairman R.C. Bhargava, managing director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi and chief operating officer (administration) S. Y. Siddiqui, during his meeting with Hooda on Sunday, also stressed that the special team probing the violence should find out the root cause.

"In any case, Japan's Suzuki has no plans to withdraw from India nor to stop production at Manesar. We are here for the last 30 years," Suzuki said.

"They discussed the general security arrangement for the plant and agreed that strict action should be taken against those found guilty. Meanwhile, the CM asked the company not to issue any more pink slips and to work towards a better worker- management relationship," a top official of the Haryana government said.

"While the company is not going to take back the 500 workers who have already been sacked, the management has agreed not to issue any more pink slips to other workers," a senior company executive confirmed to MAIL TODAY.

Earlier, the MSIL management had decided to dismiss another 500 contract workers.

"For the rest of the 500 contract workers, their job rests on their future conduct on the basis of which the company will decide whether to give them permanent jobs or not to renew their contracts once the current agreement expires," the MSIL executive added.

Suzuki has also asked managers to create a better industrial environment by improving the managementworker relationship.

"Suzuki requested Hooda to ensure that the SIT finds the root cause of what actually took place and why it took place because this insight will help the company to avoid such incidents in the future," Bhargava said after the meeting.

"Both the chief minister and Mr Suzuki agreed that those who are guilty must be punished," Bhargava said adding that there will be no more pink slips unless something comes out against a worker in the course of the investigation.

A senior Haryana government official said Suzuki discussed the general security issue at the plant and expressed his satisfaction with the direction of the probe.

When asked about demand from various quarters to reinstate the 500 sacked workers, Hooda said, "Those who are culprits will get punishment."

Suzuki had met Gujarat CM Narendra Modi on Friday and visited the site on Saturday where MSIL plans to set up a plant with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore by 2015- 16. Suzuki had also announced that the company would set up a skill development centre in Gujarat adding that 500 Indians would be trained initially in Japan so that they get accustomed to the Japanese culture of working.

Bhargava said that the company's investment in Gujarat was the part of its expansion plan.

"We are definitely continuing at Manesar," he added. "Production had already started at the Manesar plant and Haryana is the first home for Maruti Suzuki."

(With inputs from Vikas Kahol in Chandigarh)

Courtesy: Mail Today