Bengaluru: Toyota workers’ union calls off strike

The employees’ union at Toyota Kirloskar Motor plant on the outskirts of Bengaluru has signalled the end of an over three-month strike by asking workers to return to duty after claiming a moral victory in the management’s decision to allow them to return to work without a disciplinary undertaking as demanded earlier.

“Since the workers and union were firm on not giving any undertaking and since the management issued notice for workers to report for duty without undertaking, the union has advised the its members to report for duty as it was a moral victory for the union,” the Toyota Kirloskar Motors Employees’ Union said in a statement Wednesday.

This came a day after the management signalled the end of a showdown with workers over new production norms implemented on November 9.

The protest began on November 10 over the order reducing the takt time – time taken to complete a process at the plant from 180 seconds to 150 seconds – and suspension of a union member.

An initial lockout declared from November 11 ended on November 20 following intervention of the Karnataka government but workers resumed their protest on November 23 claiming that the management had not resolved issues raised by them.

The union has now said it will continue to demand solutions for unresolved issues.

“The union has resolved to continue the agitation in the form of daily gate protest, dharana, relay hunger strike, one day strike culminating in indefinite strike for realisation of the demands for full wages for the lock out period from 10.11.2020 to 01.03 2021, negotiation on work load dispute with the union, withdrawal of dismissal orders, charge sheets, memos issued during lock out period, restoration of five day work weeks and elimination of contract labour from production jobs, ” it said in its statement.