Outsiders instigated labour unrest: Honda management

The Hindu Business Line: "Earlier in the day, a company official had told Business Line that HMSI would take back its 1,700 striking employees, with the exception of the four terminated and 50 temporarily suspended workers. The statement , however, did not mention the possible reinstatement of the striking workers.

The company condemned all acts of violence, expressed "deep regret" over the incident and conveyed its "sympathies" to the injured workmen. "We will provide all medical assistance and hope that our workmen recover quickly and join back work soon," it said.

The genesis of the industrial dispute has two versions. While it has been alleged that the workers initiated the agitation seeking higher wages, labour organisations claim that it all started with the company not recognising the workers' right to form a union.

Meanwhile, a status report prepared by the Ministry of Labour on the Honda issue was submitted to the Union Labour Minister, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, here on Tuesday. The Chief Labour Commissioner in the Labour Ministry, in the report, stated that the unrest at Honda has been continuing for close to six months now, with the management complaining that the workmen had beaten them up.

The workers, in turn, had complained that the management beat them up. The incident, according to the report, was followed by a tough stand taken by the management, which terminated the services of four workers and put 50 more people under suspension. The report stated that at the time of the termination of the workers, the labour union was not registered. The labour union got registered in May this year.

According to the information provided by the company to the Labour Ministry, after obtaining registration, the workers went into a "go slow" mode and production suffered by almost 90 per cent between May and July this year — from 2,000 scooters per day to around 200 scooters per day. Following negotiations between the company and the workers, a tripartite agreement was signed in June in the presence of the State Labour Commissioner. Then in early July, the Honda management sought an undertaking of good behaviour from the workmen and the situation eventually turned volatile, leading to Monday's violence.

The Ministry is of the opinion that the matter comes under the jurisdiction of the Haryana Government and the Centre has little role to play under the existing legal provisions. "