Hyundai Motor workers union defers strike
Chennai: The Hyundai Motor India Employees Union, which served a strike notice last week over a contentious labour union election issue, has decided to defer the agitation till the management declared elections for the Worker's Committee.
The union on Nov 19 served the notice demanding recognition after the management of Hyundai Motor India, the country's second largest car manufacturer, decided to hold elections for the Workers Committee.
"Though we have given a strike notice effective from Dec 5, we have decided to wait," union general secretary Y.S. Chinnaraja told media.
The decision was taken in a general body meeting of around 1,200 union members held here on Tuesday evening.
"If at all the management wants to hold an election, it can hold a secret ballot among workers who would decide whether they want a union or a worker's committee," Chinnaraja said.
The general body also decided to send a petition listing their grievances and signed by workers individually to Tamil Nadu Labour Minister T.M. Anbarasan, other ministers and government officials.
The union will also send a detailed note on its stand and demands to Anbarasan and labour department officials.
Chinnaraja said that at a conciliation meeting held in the labour commissioner's office Dec 3, the management agreed not to hold elections to the Worker's Committee.
However, the union expects the management to go ahead with the election process by December-end as the current seven-member committee's term expires this month.
"We expect the management to call for elections on December 30 and declare the results the next day. If the company calls for nominations for the committee, we will go on strike from that day," Chinnaraja said.
In July, over 1,000 employees belonging to the union went on strike in protest against a wage agreement the management signed with the Workers' Committee, following which a number of strikers was sacked.
According to the union, the committee, set up by the company management, does not represent the workers.
The strike was withdrawn after the management aigned an agreement with the union to pay "all workers wages as per its agreement with the Workers' Committee". (IANS)
