Maruti staff union rejects package

The Hindu, Friday 15 December 2000, 12:00 AM

NEW DELHI, DEC. 14. The Maruti Employees Union (MUEU) today rejected the four-point package proposed by the Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL) management to end the two-month long agitation demanding reinstatement of 92 dismissed workers.

At the tripartite meeting with the union and management representatives today, called by the Heavy Industry Minister, Mr. Manohar Joshi, the MUL managing director, Mr. Jagdish Khattar, rejected the union's demand and said "law will take its own course in respect of terminated and suspended employees."

The package includes cooperation by the MUEU in restoring normalcy, increasing production and improving the competence of Maruti besides acceptance by the union of the incentive scheme proposed by it in October, a company spokesperson said.

Despite Mr. Joshi's statement in Parliament that the MUL would withdraw the good conduct undertaking, Mr. Khattar stuck to his guns at today's meeting, saying the union would have to sign an undertaking before striking workers were allowed inside the factory.

"In the absence of the union signing the four-point code of conduct undertaking, individual employees will have to sign the good conduct undertaking before they could resume duty," the MUL official said.

The Ministry sources said the talks would continue tomorrow. Besides reinstatement, Maruti employees demand withdrawal of code of conduct and better incentive scheme.

- PTI