Workers of Bajaj Auto’s Chakan Plant which produces Pulsar Motorcycles have been on indefinite strike from June 25, 2013. This followed the refusal of the management to have discussions with the union on negotiating a new wage agreement, which was due.
Workers of Bajaj Auto’s Chakan Plant which produces Pulsar Motorcycles have been on indefinite strike from June 25, 2013. This followed the refusal of the management to have discussions with the union on negotiating a new wage agreement, which was due.
Bajaj Auto’s Chakan Plant workers are organized under the banner of Vishwa Kalyan Kamgar Sanghatana (VKS). Their demands include 25% wage hike, making contract workers permanent and taking back suspended workers as well as workers transferred to other branches of Bajaj Auto who have been victimized merely for being active fighters of the union.
The Chakan Plant of Bajaj Auto employs 925 permanent workers and 1,000 temporary, contract and trainee workers. These 1,000 workers are seeking to be made permanent.
The workers have also demanded a stock option in Bajaj Auto. According to Dilip Pawar, President of the VKS, each worker got only 22 paise from the production of a Pulsar in terms of wages. The VKS has claimed the support of 138 other unions operating in the neighbouring industrial belts, and warned of work stoppage across industry if the issue is not resolved.
The Shramik Ekta Mahasangh, a federation of unions in the Chakan area, has 88 unions affiliated to it. In a letter to the Upper Labour Commissioner of Pune, Shramik Ekta Mahasangh has asked the department to intervene in the matter and resolve the crisis. It declared that if the dispute is not resolved in favour of the workers soon, then the agitation would spill over to the entire Pimpri Chinchwad industrial belt.
Workers’ unions of more than 120 industries organized a solidarity meeting on July 7 at Chakan. They threatened to go on an indefinite strike in solidarity with the Bajaj workers.
The decision to go on strike would be taken depending on the outcome of a meeting called by the outcome of a meeting called by the Labour Commissioner with the management of Bajaj Auto, and the representatives of the workers union, declared the leader of the Mahasangh.
The Chakan belt is one of the major auto hubs in the country. Amongst others, Tatas, Mahindras, the Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have production units in this belt.
The management of Bajaj Auto has approached the courts to declare the strike “illegal”. It has also adopted the tactic of shifting production of Pulsars to its Aurangabad unit.