Maruti to hold talks on Monday

Even as the Maruti management decided to hold talks with its striking workers on Monday, the police cleared the agitating workers off the firm's Manesar plant on Saturday.

The action came a day after the Punjab and Haryana high court banned workers of Maruti Suzuki India from holding demonstrations near its production plant.

"I have been told by the management of Maruti Suzuki today that it would hold talks with the workers on Monday (to end the stalemate)," Haryana Labour minister Shiv Charan Lal Sharma said.

Although the strike continues, the siege by around 2,000 Suzuki Powertrain India Ptd (SPIL) workers came to an end after the police built up intense pressure with more than 1,500 men inside the plant. Workers said that they moved out of the plant to avoid any violent confrontation.

"We didn't want any violent confrontation, which seemed imminent the way the police ill-treated our men. So, we decided among ourselves to move out," Maruti Suzuki workers' union leader Rishipal said.

Meanwhile, the evicted workers, who scattered outside the Maruti Suzuki units, reassembled in front of the car manufacturer firm's gate later. However, their number lowered down significantly, which their union leaders said was due to Karva Chauth.

Workers at Suzuki Powertrain have been striking in support of the Maruti Suzuki workers who vacated the car major's Manesar plant on Friday after the high court asked them not to demonstrate within 100 metre radius of the plant.

But Powertrain workers continued the siege since the court's order did not apply on them. Suzuki Powertrain supplies diesel engines to Maruti Suzuki. After Manesar, the Gurgaon plant of MSIL was also closed as the engine supply from Suzuki Powertrain and other components from other suppliers were disrupted.

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