Toyota wants to buy time before meeting union members

Union workers of Toyota-Kirloskar Motors Ltd demanded that the government prosecute the management, which had declared an indefinite lockout of the local unit for violating the industrial dispute act. The union staged a dharna outside the deputy labour commissioners office. Protesting against the lockout declared yesterday by the TKM in wake of a strike by the union demanding reinstatement of their three dismissed colleagues.

The joint secretary of the union, R. Ravi said the employees would continue with their indefinite agitation and demanded government intervention to arrive at a “solution” to the vexed problem. TKM on Sunday declared an indefinite lockout at its local unit in Bidadi after a strike by workers entered the third day.

‘‘For quite some time now, the management has been victimizing some employees for organising the labor and wants to suppress any union activity. There are another 11 people suspended by the management and we fear they may also be dismissed. We are officially supposed to work for eight hours but we are overworked sometimes. Till two years ago, the work was heavy and the pay small. Now, the wages have improved to some extent, but working conditions are very bad. When we try to take these problems to the management through the forum of our union, the management is creates panic among the workers by dismissing anybody with union links. We want the government to intervene and get the three employees reinstated. The lockout should be lifted immediately,’’ said Ravi.

‘‘The government should immediately refer the matter for a court of inquiry as per section 10 (1) (B) of the industrial dispute act’’, said Meenakshi Sundaram, general secretary of the state district committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).