By IANS,
New Delhi : The strike at the Maruti Suzuki plant in Haryana’s Manesar town entered its fifth day Wednesday with talks between the workers and management failing to achieve a breakthrough. The company says it has suffered a production loss of 4,200 cars so far.
“The talks are going on. But this strike is illegal as no intimation was given. We had literally no idea as to why they (workers) went on strike in the first place as they did not inform us,” Maruti Suzuki India chairman R.C. Bhargava told IANS.
According to him, the company had suffered a production volume loss of around 4,200 cars till Wednesday, including the 600 units on the first day of the strike Saturday.
The total loss has been pegged at around Rs.140 crore.
“Our losses are currently pegged at around 4,200 cars since Saturday,” he said, adding that the halt in production will have a short-term impact.
“Currently, dealers have enough stock for some 28 days of petrol-segment cars, while a short-term effect may be felt for some diesel variants, which in itself is only 20 percent of our entire portfolio,” he said.
The company’s facility at Manesar produces the company’s bestseller hatchbacks and sedans like the Swift, Swift Dzire, A-Star and SX4.
The majority of the automobile giant’s production takes place at its remaining three plants in Gurgaon district.
According to another Maruti official, the strike has the support of around 2,000-odd workers, out of whom 11 were sacked Monday for demanding recognition of a separate workers’ union.