After three crippling union strikes and an accumulated revenue loss estimated at Rs 2,500 crore, the country's auto major, Maruti Suzuki Ltd, has decided to help its workers set up an internal union at its Manesar plant.
Mr S. Y. Siddiqui, Managing Executive Officer - Administration (HR, Finance and IT), Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, told Business Line that the Department of Labour, Haryana and some management-level employees are explaining the process of setting up the union to the workers and it was likely to be completed in four months.
The company has also decided to take stock of its people practices and bring in some changes in its communication strategy, he said.
Commenting on speculation that the two prominent union leaders, Sonu Gujjar and Shiv Kumar, were ‘bought out' by the company for a sum as high Rs 50 lakh, Mr Siddiqui said that he was surprised at the negative reports.
“It is a tripartite agreement with the Government, the union and the company and the process is documented. We have also entered into an agreement with each of the 30 workers under Section 18 (3) of Industrial Disputes Act. It's all above board.”
The trouble, he believes, originated and precipitated because the “workers were so young and in the wrong hands.”
Communication strategy
Agreeing that a gap in communication flow from the management could have resulted in the trouble at Manesar plant, Mr Siddiqui said that the company was now working on a multi-channel communication strategy with its employees.
The groups of workers will henceforth have one regular direct interaction with Mr Siddiqui and the Head of Production. The company has also created an email id through which any employee can communicate directly with the top management any time he/ she wants.
Immature bunch
Mr Siddiqui said that the idea was to make the workers comfortable after ‘the uncertain period.' “My impression of the boys when I started interacting with them was that they are just kids. They have zero experience of industry and zero maturity.”
He says “it will be a six-to-eight month process and Manesar will come back into the fold of the company as strong as it has been for the last so many years.” But at the same time, he feels, the country's labour laws have to be rationalised to suit the current environment and business needs.