Hyundai workers on strike, loss at Rs 65 cr
Hyundai Motor India on Monday said production at the Sriperumbudur plant was stopped, causing a loss of about Rs 65 crore, after workers went on a flash strike demanding reinstatement of workers dismissed last year.
“As a result of the ‘sit-in strike’ by around 150 workers the management is forced to suspend production on Monday resulting in a loss of around Rs 65 crore,” the company said in a statement.
Hyundai Motor India Employees Union (HMIEU) vice-president Thangapandiyan, however, claimed that production at the plant was stopped as “nearly 1,500 workers are on strike asking for reinstatement of dismissed colleagues”.
Hyundai Motor India termed the strike as illegal and it will not give in to the workers’ demands.
Hyundai said the union is demanding the reinstatement of 67 workers, who were dismissed for “gross misconduct leading to damage of company property and violence against fellow workers”.
“The management has decided not to reinstate any more of the dismissed employees,” a company spokesperson said.
Hyundai employs about 10,000 workers at its plant, which has a production capacity of around 50,000 units per month.
Last July, the management and striking workers signed a wage settlement agreement — following which 20 of the 87 dismissed workers were reinstated.
The company gave a pay increase of 21-24 per cent over a three-year period to the workers.
“As per the agreement, this strike and demand for the reinstatement of the rest is illegal. We hope the state government intervenes to ensure a solution to this matter,” the spokesperson added.
Hyundai said it had already reinstated 20 of the 87 persons dismissed in December last on “humanitarian grounds”, based on negotiations held in the presence of the state government, and an agreement was reached in this regard.
Currently, conciliation pertaining to labour issues are pending before the deputy labour commissioner, and the next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, the firm said.
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Audi India’s May sales up by 65 %
New Delhi : Luxury carmaker Audi India on Monday reported a 65.29 per cent jump in sales during May to 200 units, compared to the same month last year.
The company in a statement said it has sold 121 units in May 2009.
It further added the company’s recently announced limited edition of luxury sports utility vehicle Q7 4.2 TDI Quattro had received a good response from customers. Audi recently completed three years of operations in the India market.
The company, which currently has eight showrooms across the country, said new outlets will be opened in 2010 in various cities, including Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Chennai, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Coimbatore and Nagpur. — PTI
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