Maruti to hire 100 new workers for troubled Manesar plant

New Delhi:Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said it would hire 100 new permanent employees today for its troubled Manesar plant to replace those who have refused to sign the good conduct bond.

"Up to 100 new permanent workers will be recruited today," a company spokesperson said, adding so far 103 existing workers have signed the bond and resumed duties.

With the standoff between the management and labour that started on August 29 continuing, the company had brought in 50 ITI-trained and experienced workers yesterday at the plant taking the total workforce to 1,100 people.

MSI has about 2,500 workers the Manesar plant, out of which nearly 1,000 are permanent. The management has refused to budge from its stance that it "will allow only those workers to resume duties at Manesar plant who will sign the Good Conduct Bond."

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The standoff started last month when the management prevented workers from entering factory premises unless they signed the bond, after allegations of sabotage and deliberate compromise on the quality of cars being produced surfaced.

The bond required the workers to declare that they would "not resort to go slow, intermittent stoppage of work, stay- in-strike, work-to-rule, sabotage or otherwise indulge in any activity, which would hamper the normal production in the factory".

During the first two days of the stand-off, MSI dismissed five permanent workers. In addition, it suspended 26 permanent workers and discontinued the services of another 18 trainees on disciplinary grounds.

Before the problems with workers erupted, the Manesar plant was rolling out about 1,200 units a day of its models, including Swift and SX4.