Maruti workers' strike keeps buyers waiting

Dealers fear long wait may lead to order cancellations

The standoff between the management and the workers continued for the 12th day on Wednesday. The waiting period for Maruti’s top selling diesel variants—Swift, DZire and SX-4—has further gone up by over a month.

Usually, these diesel variants invite a waiting period of two to four months, which just got longer. Dealers fear cancellations as well.

The production backlog, estimated to be over 11,000 car units, will take time to streamline.

Union warning

Meanwhile, the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) on Wednesday threatened that the strike could spread to other automobile manufacturers if  the demands of the workers are not met.

Protesting workers, joined by a host of unions, sat outside the Manesar plant in Haryana seeking recognition of their proposed union. They are also demanding reinstating the 11 sacked workers.

With the state government working overtime to end the logjam, Maruti Suzuki management has indicated a way out. Sources said, the management could be willing to recognise a new union for the Manesar unit on condition that it will not be affiliated to any outside body of workers.

Maruti Suzuki, which has piled up an estimated loss of over Rs 500 crore during the period of strike, has the largest chunk of the Indian domestic car market with sales of 12,71,005 vehicles during fiscal 2010-11, including the export of 138,266 units.