Toyota returning to normalcy, resumes second shift operation

The company has decided to lift the lockout at its car factory in Bidadi from Tuesday

Even as the workers' union is continuing its strike, the management of Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) is returning to normal production operations at both its car manufacturing plants at Bidadi, 35 kilometers from Bengaluru. The company, which has managed to get back to work 1,200 workers out of 3,500 workers on its rolls, has commenced second shift operations on Tuesday.

"We are confident that our workers will return to work as early as possible. Already, 1,200 workers have come back and signed a simple undertaking that they will maintain discipline inside and outside the factory premises. We are sure others will follow soon," Shankara G, Associate Vice President, Human Resources and Services Group, TKM told DH.

Read: Toyota Kirloskar withdraws lockout at manufacturing plants

The company has also decided to withdraw the lock-out with effect from Tuesday after observing gradual improvement in safety situations both inside and outside the factory premises at Bidadi, without any compromise to discipline and productivity, TKM said in a statement.

"This will be in the interest of both team members and their families as well as the company. Consequent to the lifting of the lockout, operations will enhance with effect from the second shift of January 12, 2021 in both the plants. Employees returning to work will sign a simple undertaking for good conduct and report to work. The Suspension Pending Enquiry of 66 unionised employees for serious misconducts will continue and domestic enquiries will be conducted adhering to the principles of Natural Justice," the statement said.

So far, the company has managed to keep its production running with the help of some of its workers and executive staff on the shop floor in one shift. As 1,200 workers have now returned to work, the company on Tuesday resumed the second shift operations. "Although there was a lock-out at our factory, we had allowed our workers to return to work at any time. We have informed the labour department and the Karnataka government that we have facilitated all those who wanted to return to work," Shankara said.

He said, every day an average of 50-60 workers are returning to work. However, the employees union is preventing workers from returning to work and have threatened many of them from coming back. The company has provided police protection to all those who have been threatened by the union from rejoining the work, he said.

He said the company is also contemplating a legal action against the workers for failure to return to work by signing an undertaking. "Legal options are available. However, at this juncture, we believe all our employees will return to work soon," Shankara said.

TKM Employees Union went on a flash sit-in-strike on November 9 and since then they are on strike in demand for the reinstatement of the suspended workers. The company has suspended 66 workers so far on disciplinary grounds. "We are losing a lot due to the strike. But we cannot compromise basic discipline at our factory," Shankara said.

Despite the workers' strike impacting the production, TKM has managed to sell 7,487 vehicles at the wholesale basis during the month of December 2020, showing a year-on-year growth of 14.4%. During the month of November 2020, it sold 8,508 units, a y-o-y growth of 2.3%.