No headway to TKM, worker impasse

Three days after Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) lifted the lockout at its Bidadi manufacturing plants, workers continue to stay away from work as the management continues to insist on their signing an undertaking of good conduct.

Talking to Autocar Professional today morning, R Sathish, general secretary of Toyota Kiroskar Motor Workers Union (TKMW), said the employees are ready to work but the company is not softening its stand.

He said, “The first shift in the factory starts at 5.45 am. Today morning all the workers have visited the factory to work in the first shift but the management has not let the union workers inside as they continue insisting upon us to sign the ‘good conduct’ undertaking.”

He added that at present there is no other option to end the impasse except the government entering into the scene. The TKMW has submitted memorandums to the state Chief minister and labour commissioner to settle the issue and is awaiting the government’s intervention.

Out TKM’s total workforce of 6,500 employees, around 4,200 workers are attached to the TKM Workers Union.

Meanwhile, in its statement released late evening yesterday, TKM said it is running its plants using contract labour and apprentices. The company’s announcement comes at the time when a few media reports claimed that the company had engaged contract workers and apprentices to run its factory near Bangalore.

TKM said, “It’s absolutely untrue that Toyota is running its plants using 1,000 contract workers and 2,000 apprentices.”

However the company accepted that it had commenced limited plant operations with the help of non-unionised team members, of whom the majority are supervisors and engineers, after lifting the eight-day lockout on March 24. The company’s statement says, “We have started limited plant operations with the help of non- unionised team members, of whom majority are supervisors and engineers.”

When contacted, the company spokesperson declined to detail the production loss at both the plants at its Bidadi integrated factory complex.

It is understood that the company was manufacturing around 750 to 800 cars a day when it was running its plants at full capacity.

Recently on March 6, TKM celebrated a sales landmark of its one-millionth car in India. Established in 1997, the carmaker’s Bidadi plants have a combined production capacity of 310,000 units.