Its Business as Usual at HMSI: Manesar plant starts producing up to 1000 two-wheelers daily

NEW DELHI/MANESAR: Its business as usual at the Manesar plant of Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) as daily production of 2-wheelers here is reported to have reached 1000 units.

In news for over a month since November 5 when the company had refused entry to a bunch of contractual workers into its Manesar plant, and the following forceful sit-in and standoff, the HMSI plant is back into action with the majority of the 1864 permanent workers resuming their duties.

And those who are sitting outside the plant, are not on the company’s rolls, and there is no strike of work anymore at the Manesar plant, the company sources have clarified.

On the other hand, while indicating an imminent solution to the contractual labour issue, the Haryana Labour department officials who are mediating between the striking contractual workers and contractors have said that there is good news coming by coming Friday.

According to Ajay Pal Dudi, Deputy Labour Commissioner, Haryana state government, the production is on in the Manesar plant of HMSI.

“The labour dispute does not pertain directory to HMSI as it is between contractual workers and contractors.  We in regular counseling sessions with them on daily basis. We will have some good news by Friday. Production is on in HMSI plant. Majority of the contractual workers have got alternate jobs and only a few who are misled or have not joined elsewhere are sitting in front of the plant, and number of such workers is reducing with each passing day,” Ajay Pal Dudi told Asian Community News (ACN) Network.

A month of ups and downs:

During the last 35 days, the Japanese 2-wheeler major HMSI went through lots of ups and downs with no apparent support from the state government machinery.  Haryana government failed to get the contractual workers evicted who had forcefully and illegally occupied space inside the factory and laid siege of it for 13 days between November 5 and 18. The company had to procure court orders to evict the workers from its plant with the help of the police.

The over-a-month period witnessed frequent arm-twisting tactics by the workers union that played totally a negative role, rather a spoilsport by instigating the contractual as well as permanent workers, and stopped the latter from joining work.

However, the role of panchayats of the Manesar and surrounding villages were positive as they extended full support to the company, and vowed to thwart any effort that could prove against the interest of the company, workers and the auto sector.

In an official statement issued by HMSI on November 5, the day the trouble started, the company said, “Based on demand fluctuations and production adjustment 200 contractual members whose term had been completed are relieved from their work. Necessary recruitment will be considered on the basis of future market requirements. The Contractual workers whose term had been completed were relieved from their work but permanent workers were still not impacted.”

Following this, the contractual workers struck the work and forcefully staged a sit-in inside the factory premises.

However, the following day on November 6 the company put the permanent workers on the assembly line to carry on with the production but the workers union intervened and stopped them from working.

As a result, on Nov 11 the company declared suspicion of work till normalcy was resumed through a notice of suspension.

Permanent staff started joining work from Nov 22:

On Nov 22, another notice lifting the suspension of work was issued inviting the permanent workers to join the work and to give an undertaking. These workers were imparted training to put them on assembly lines and other work stations inside the plant.

Now production has reached 1000 units a day as target which the company is achieving. All permanent workers are inside the plant except for those 10-12 who we suspended for anti-company activities.

The process of permanent workers joining the work had started from November 22 and by November 27 over 1350 permanent staff had joined back duties. The number crossed 1850 by November 30 as a select few others are either sacked or on family exigencies.

HMSI had earlier said in a written statement, “The last batch of permanent staff associates have joined duties as on 28th November 2019 and we have already resumed the single shift operation. Company is moving towards normalizing operations at its Manesar plant with a high level of positivity and improved productivity.  This is with the strong commitment from the permanent staff associates to maintain discipline, good faith & positive working environment.”

Negative role of the Union:  

In a statement on Nov 22, HMSI said, “Instigated by the Union the relieved Contractual workers were pressurized to sit in front of the union office which further resorted to illegally occupying the plant’s premises. At the same time the Contractual workers who were to join in the next shift, were also held back from going to their work stations.”

While adding that though the union has no direct role, they are intervening in the negotiation process between the contractor and contractual employees, the company said, “Looking at the situation management had no option than to initially declare holidays. Since the Contractual workers continued to sit inside the premises in spite of several requests from the contractor and Labour department. Hence, the company had to stop normal operations at the Manesar plant until further notice.”

The matter is now under discussion between the contractor and their employees. As per the notice issued by the contractor while they had already offered alternative job opportunities and monetary dues as per the prevailing law to those who are not willing to take the offer.