Bosch shifts production lines from Chakan plant
Indian Express: Bosch, which is into manufacturing brakes for four-wheelers and supplies products to Maruti, Mahindra and Tata Motors, has shifted several production lines from its Chakan plant to company facilities at Manesar and Jalgaon.
Senior officials say that although this was largely a pre-planned move, the shifting of a few lines to the other plants was advanced because of the ongoing workers’ strike at the Chakan plant. The strike is now into its third month.
“There has been a 10-15 per cent drop in production at the Chakan plant because of the strike. To ensure that it does not affect our clients, we have already effected the move of a few lines to Manesar and Jalgaon. We have also increased production capacities at these plants,” said Ravindra Chaudhari, vice president-HR, Bosch Chasis Systems (India).
Since early July, permanent and contract workers at Bosch and Brembo (two-wheeler brake systems) have been on strike. The point of contention is two-fold ¿ a differential reading of a wage agreement of November 2007 and the rights of contract workers.
At Brembo too, senior employees said production has been lowered by 10 per cent. “However, it has not yet affected our sales. As all technical staff are on strike, many of our executives are on the production line,” a senior executive said.
Over the last two months, the Pune industrial court has conducted hearings regarding both companies ¿ in a relief to the strike unions, the court has “not termed the strike illegal”. On the other hand, it delivered a mixed verdict for the recruitment of employees — Bosch has been allowed to hire a few persons while it has prohibited Brembo from doing the same.
“It is not a strike. It is stoppage of work ¿ which is not unfair labour practice according to the law,” said AY Shikarkhane, industrial court lawyer, who is representing the employees on strike. “We are asking for contract workers to be regularised under the Contract Labour Act,” he said.
Chaudhari maintained that the protesting workers were “misguided”. Bosch has been able to replace its permanent employees with fresh trainee engineer recruits. “Our workers have gone on strike for the upliftment of the contract employees, they want them to be given permanent employee status. However, this is not possible, as the process should begin right from recruitment and training of these persons. Many of them are poorly qualified,” Chaudhari said. While contract workers get around Rs 6,000, permanent employees get Rs 17,000, he added.
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