Hardening its stand against the agitating workers of its Chakan plant, Bajaj Auto today said it will not negotiate wage agreement “under the pressure of an illegal strike”, even as the company has shifted production of its best selling Pulsar model to Aurangabad facility.
“We are obliged to discuss the wage agreement, however, we will not do so under the pressure of an illegal strike accompanied by daily instances of violence against those seeking to rejoin work,” Bajaj Auto ltd (BAl) Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj told the news agecy. The workers at company's Chakan plant had not reported for work since June 25 following the management's refusal to allot them shares at discounted price.
Stressing that the company has been able to overcome the impact of the strike by shifting production to other plant, he said: “We have started Pulsar production at Aurangabad and have already reached a level of 600 (units) per day. “Today, we should produce 2,000 bikes between Chakan and Aurangabad, i.E. 66 per cent of normal production, signifying that the union's approach is fading with each passing day.”
The workmen's union of BAl's Chakan plant -- Vishwa Kalyan Kamgar Sanghatana -- had made a host of demands, including 25 per cent wage hike, making contract workers permanent employees apart from taking back suspended and those transferred workers back to the plant.
The plant employs 925 permanent workers and 1,000 temporary, contract and trainees. These 1,000 workers are seeking to be made permanent.