Honda Suspends Manesar Plant Operations Indefinitely as Talks Fail With Plant Workers

Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) has announced indefinite suspension of operations at one of their oldest manufacturing plants in the country which is situated in Manesar, Haryana. The development comes as talks between the union leaders and the plant management failed to come to a mutually agreeable situation.

Around 2,500 contractual workers at Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India's (HMSI) Manesar plant had recently observed a tool-down strike against retrenchment of around 400 contract workers at the facility, claimed workers' union.

HMSI Employee Union leaders alleged that the company has reduced the production of the facility by 50 per cent and is in the process of retrenching more contractual workers.

The stand-off began Tuesday morning with the company management not allowing some of the contractual workers to go inside the plant, HMSI Employee Union President Suresh Gaur told PTI.

"Today, around 400 contractual workers have been retrenched. They were stopped from entering the factory premises. This led to a tool-down strike by workers who were already inside the plant," he said.

The contract workers who have been fired have been sitting in protest outside the gates since morning, Gaur said, adding that "the management's immediate plan is to sack a total of around 650 contract workers at the plant".

According to Gaur, the Manesar facility has 1,900 permanent workers and 2,500 contract workers.

HMSI in a statement 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."

Gaur alleged that the company is sacking contractual workers of the Manesar plant only in the name of the slowdown in the industry by cutting production at the unit by 50 per cent, whereas the same practice has not been followed at the company's other plants.

"Other plants of the company continue to produce normally, they are just cutting the production here, thus impacting the jobs," Gaur said.

The company is also not providing full and final emoluments to the workers, he alleged.

The Manesar plant of HMSI has a total capacity of around 3,000 two-wheelers a day and rolls out the popular models such as scooters Dio and Activa and Unicorn motorcycle.

With inputs from PTI