If you work in Maruti's Manesar plant and happen to “remain in toilets for a longer period of time,” you can be sacked for “major misconduct”. This is according to the Standing Orders for Workers for the plant, approved by Deputy Commissioner of Labour, Haryana, in January 2007,
It may be recalled that the bone of contention between Maruti's Manesar management and workers is the ‘good conduct bond' that workers have been asked to sign to enter the factory premises.
That's not all. Lack of proper personal appearance, sanitation, cleanliness and proper grooming, habitual neglect of cleanliness etc., are among the other list of clauses that denote “major misconduct”, which can invite punishment, including sacking.
Then, there is a list of things that are considered “minor misconduct”. For instance, chewing “betel leaves while on duty within the boundary walls”, can invite punishment.
“This just goes to show how far removed some multinationals are from Indian working conditions. They are getting away with a lot labour law violations in India, something they would not dream of doing in their own countries.
“Can you ever imagine a Volkswagen, Hyundai or even a Suzuki imposing such conditions on their workers back home?” says Mr Dipankar Mukherjee, Secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions.
“How can they expect a worker slogging on turbines and boilers in the power unit to be properly groomed?” he adds.
In fact, 11 central trade unions have sought the Central and Haryana Government's intervention to end the impasse in Maruti, Manesar through negotiated settlement.