The workers’ Union at Bajaj Auto has postponed an indefinite strike due to begin at the Chakan plant on May 15. This is the second time in the last few weeks that the Vishwakalyan Kamgar Sanghatana (VKS), the recognised Union, has deferred a proposed strike.
In a letter to the Bajaj Auto management issued late in the evening, the VKS said that the decision to postpone “stoppage” had been taken after a meeting with the Shramik Ekta Mahasangh, an umbrella organisation affiliated to Geneva based global union body IndustriALL.
The SEM has said it will look into the matter and have asked for time, so the stoppage of work by nearly 850 workers at Bajaj Auto Chakan has been postponed for the time being, the letter said.
Though the Bajaj Auto management has transferred some of the production of bikes made at Chakan to its plant in Aurangabad, any labour unrest has a cascading effect in the region, and nearly 20,000 people are directly or indirectly affected by it, an analyst said.
Reacting to the development, Kailash Zanzari, VP (Manufacturing), expressed the hope that the issues between the management and the workers could be resolved through dialogue over the next few days.