Suzuki Motor Corporation Chairman, Osamu Suzuki, has assured Maruti Suzuki workers of the company’s commitment to its investment in Haryana, but said “criminal acts” will not be tolerated.
Suzuki, who is in India to attend the Maruti AGM on August 28, held a meeting with the senior management officials and union leaders of Maruti’s Gurgaon facility on Thursday. He also visited the Suzuki motorcycle plant.
“Suzuki said that the violence (of July 18) was a very sad incident and thorough action is needed on it. It’s not management versus union issue. In every company such disputes are handled through discussions. The workers should promote the growth of Maruti and the Indian economy,” a source close to the development said.
He is also expected to visit the troubled Manesar facility on Monday, as part of a trip to the adjoining Suzuki Powertrain plant. He will also meet some of the component vendors on the same day.
Meanwhile, Suzuki told the union leaders that such a “first-of-its-kind” violence across the globe was unpardonable.
“We told Suzuki that dismissal of any employee was no remedy to the problem at hand. They must investigate further to understand what caused the incident in the first place. Salary structures need to be revised,” said Kuldeep Janghu, General Secretary of the Maruti Udyog Kamgar Union.
Suzuki is meeting the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi on Friday. The meeting is about Maruti’s recently announced Rs 4,000 crore initial investment in a new facility in the State. He will then return to Delhi for a meeting with the Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, on Sunday.