Strike illegal,may take legal action: GM India

He added that if the situation continues,then “the company will be forced to take legal action against such elements”.

In a statement,Balendran said the company had signed a wage settlement agreement for three years “covering salary increase and productivity related matters with the GM Employees’ Union on December 16,2010”. “This was done with the involvement,mediation and at the behest of Labour Department officials. Subsequently,the permanent workers were given new salaries and benefits as per the agreement,” he added.

The Gujarat Kamdar Mandal,on the other hand,accused the management of trying to threaten the protesting workers. Union general secretary Mihir Desai said: “We would like to clarify that our protest is not for money. It is for inhuman approach. We have documentary evidence to prove that a large number of workers are suffering from spine-related problems because they have been forced to work beyond their capacity… It was only last week the factory inspector had identified seven workers suffering from serious spine problems and it was brought to the company’s notice as well.”

He further alleged that the workers opposed to this were transferred to other states and “made to wash cars in showrooms”. “All these irregularities will come up if an investigation is launched,” he said.