Exactly
five days after declaring a lockout at its two plants in Bidadi in the
outskirts of Bengaluru in Karnataka, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd has lifted the lockout
late March 20, 2014. The two plants produce more than 300,000 vehicles a year
that include popular models like the Innova multi utility vehicle, the Fortuner
SUV, the Corolla Altis and Camry sedans and the Etios models. The company
recently celebrated the sale of its millionth car in India.
According
to a company press statement, it submitted
to the Deputy Labour Commissioner that considering the inclination and in the
interest of majority law abiding team members, it had decided to lift the lock
out implemented vide notice dated March 16, 2014.
“Consequent
to our above decision, the team members are welcome to resume work with effect
from Monday, March 24, 2014 after signing a simple undertaking on good conduct.
We wish to thank the Govt. of Karnataka for their valuable advice concerning
our operation,” the company release said.
The
company had declared a lockout after a wage negotiation with its 6,400 workers threatened
to go out of hand. The company has stated that ,"Under the instigation of
the union, certain sections of the employees have resorted to deliberate
stoppages of the production line, abuse and threatening of supervisors." This
had promoted the management to declared a lockout on March 16, 2014.
File photo of senior officials of Toyota at
the 2014 Auto Expo. Photography: Mohd. Nasir