The three leaders of Maruti Suzuki's proposed labour union at its Manesar facility – the Maruti Suzuki Employees Union (MSEU) – are under arrest. They will be produced before the district court on Tuesday.

Late on Sunday night, when the Haryana Government-brokered talks between the management and workers at Maruti Suzuki India's Manesar plant broke down, the police detained three leaders of the proposed union – the President, Mr Sonu Kumar Gujjar; the General Secretary, Mr Shiv Kumar; and another employee, Mr Ravinder Singh.

The arrest was for allegedly assaulting supervisors and preventing other workers from reporting to work.

‘Under-hand tactics'

“The workers are angry because of the under-hand tactics of the Maruti Suzuki management. The three workers arrested on Sunday from the negotiation table did not have an FIR lodged against them,” a worker told Business Line .

“The company is ready to take back 14 workers (all trainees) out of the 62 terminated or suspended. The workers want the company to take back all of them,” he added. Workers are, at present, sitting on dharna outside the factory premises.

The stand-off between the management and the workers started on August 29 when the company suspended and dismissed 21 employees on charges of sabotaging and alleged quality issues. It enforced a ‘good conduct bond' on the workers as a condition to enter the factory. Since then the company has been making alternative labour arrangements.

Maruti Suzuki produced 600 Swift cars from Manesar and Gurgaon plants on Monday.

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