Maruti’s Gurgaon plant on the edge as Manesar fever spreads
One of its production facilities is already under an indefinite lockout, but market leader Maruti Suzuki’s troubles seems to be mushrooming, with its bigger car-making facilities at Gurgaon also teetering. HT reports.
One of its production facilities is already under an indefinite lockout, but market leader Maruti Suzuki’s troubles seems to be mushrooming, with its bigger car-making facilities at Gurgaon also teetering.
The three factories at Gurgaon, which make almost 800,000 cars per annum, saw wild rumours throughout Monday about an impending protest by workers in support of their Manesar counterparts.
On Wednesday evening, around 600 workers at the twin Manesar factories went on a rampage killing one and injuring atleast 100 others, forcing the company to announce a lockout last Saturday.
"There was some talk of a tool down protest in the afternoon," said a worker inside the factory at Gurgaon. “But nothing like that happened. Overall the atmosphere is tense as there is police presence around the factory.”
The leader of Gurgaon plant's Maruti Suzuki Kamgar Union Kuldeep Janghu had said on Saturday that there was immense pressure on them to strike work in order to show solidarity with the Manesar factory workers.
"The union is under intense pressure. Friends and relatives of Manesar workers feel that operations should be halted and workers should go on a strike against the management," Janghu had said.
"Many of them live in the same villages as their Manesar counterparts. But our stand is clear, work will continue." He could not be contacted for his comments on Monday despite repeated attempts.
A senior Maruti Suzuki official told Hindustan Times that the union planned to hold a symbolic protest on Friday as well, which was cancelled later.
"We are watching the developments very closely," the official said.
"We do not want anything to happen at Gurgaon."