By V. Vijayalakshmi, IANS
Pune : The workers’ union of Bajaj Auto Ltd’s (BAL) controversy-struck Akurdi Plant has decided to meet here Sunday. All 1,400 workers – who have been sitting on the bench since Sep 1 after the management decided to close the plant near this city – will attend the meeting.
This meet is being seen as a preparation for the workers’ interaction with the BAL management scheduled next week.
Vijay Shelare, the Pune unit president of the BAL workers union affiliated to Bhartiya Kamdar Sena (BKS), told IANS: “We will hear what the workers have to say and then draft a plan for the meeting with the management.”
Last weekend BAL management and workers’ representatives met in Mumbai where the latter had rejected the management’s proposals. BAL chairman Rahul Bajaj and his son, managing director Rajiv Bajaj had given three options to the workers.
First, any worker wanting to continue to work with BAL would be employed with BAL’s dealers. Second, workers’ children who are diploma holders would be employed at the Chakan plant near Pune. Last, the management offered a voluntary retirement scheme.
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Labour Minister Ganesh Naik were present at last weekend’s meeting. Most of the workers live in Pawar’s constituency Baramati, and he has been acting as a mediator.