‘Maruti wanted truce,union said no’

“Labour inspector and labour officer discussed the issue separately with union members and management and also convened a joint meeting. Management agreed to revoke the suspension in writing on July 19 when Jia Lal,worker,and Sangram Singh,supervisor,would be present and apologise to each other. The offer was turned down by the union representatives,” the report states.

Perplexed by the reluctance of union representatives to accept this arrangement,labour officials have written to the Haryana government that they could find no real reason for the violence.

In May,two union representatives were suspended for allegedly obstructing production work. The labour department intervened and the suspension was revoked after three days with the two union representatives tendering an apology.

Maruti Suzuki,meanwhile,has no immediate plans for resuming work at the Manesar plant. “We want stern action against the culprits,they must be punished. Only then will we be able to take a decision on resumption of work,” a senior Maruti official said.

Haryana officials point to the trust deficit between the workers and the management. “Labourers will not come to work till they know their names do not figure in the police list. Supervisors and other employees will also turn up only after they are assured that there is sufficient security and there is no threat to life. This matter will take some time to resolve,” an official said.