By IANS,
Chennai : Production has been hit at Hyundai Motor India’s two plants near here as a workers’ strike entered the third day Saturday.
Around 1,000 workers, belonging to the Hyundai Motor India Employees Union (HMIEU), struck work Thursday evening protesting against a wage agreement signed between the management and the Workers’ Committee.
Rajiv Mitra, corporate communications head of Hyundai Motor, said the plants were still working, but nearly 20 percent of the output had been affected.
“Production is still going on and only 20 percent output from our plant 1 is affected. The new plant continues to roll out around 900 cars per day,” Mitra told IANS.
The company otherwise rolls out around 2,000 cars per day from its two plants located at Irrungattukottai near here.
Union leaders say the Workers’ Committee, set up by the management, does not represent the employees in the factory and the agreement signed with the committee is against the directive given by the labour commissioner.
“The management has violated the direction given by the labour commissioner that no wage agreement should be entered with the Worker’s Committee,” K. Thangapandian, vice-president of the employees union, told IANS.
“Ours is the only union with large scale worker membership. The committee is an association of seven members selected by the management.”
As per the wage agreement, which is effective from April 1 this year, over 1,600 permanent employees will get a 21-24 percent wage hike.
Hyundai Motor claimed its workers are the highest paid in the Indian automobile sector.
Justifying the union’s decision to go on strike despite a wage hike, Thangapandian said: “It’s not the question of money alone. It is also the question of our rights and culture.”
He further said the management has problems with the workers carrying pictures of their deity inside the plant premises.
“Perhaps Hyundai Motor is the only plant in this part of the country where Ayudha Pooja is not celebrated,” the union leader said.
Ayudha Pooja is celebrated during the Navarathri festival. On that day workers clean their tools, machines and offer prayers to them as they make their livelihood using those machines.
Thangapandian said now the management is trying to defeat the strike using different methods.
“For the first two days workers used the factory canteen for food. Since yesterday the management has closed the canteen and cut the water supplies.”
Family members of the workers are being threatened by rowdy elements, he said, adding: “However, our members are ready to face any situation.”
For a long time worker problem has been dogging the Korean car manufacturer, which has not recognised employees unions.
Rejecting workers’ allegations, Hyunday’s Mitra said the labour commissioner has not given any order regarding signing agreement with the Workers’ Committee. “It is just an advisory.”