Toyota lock out: Employee on hunger strike hospitalised

The management-employees standoff over lockout at Toyota Kirloskar Motor's two plants at Bidadi near here persisted today even as one of the employees on indefinite hunger strike was hospitalised owing to low blood pressure.

"Our fasting has entered fourth day today, 25 of our employees are still fasting. Four of them are suffering from low BP and one has been hospitalised," Toyota Kirloskar Employees Union Joint Secretary N Raghu told PTI.

He said "we want government to intervene soon and take care of us."

TKMEU General Secretary R Satish said "health of our employees on fast is going dull day by day, Union President Prasanna Kumar is also on hunger strike."

Twenty-five union members had begun indefinite day and night hunger strike in front of the Bidadi plant on April 2 demanding that government intervene to resolve the deadlock, and the company should allow employees to resume work without any conditions and also withdraw suspension of workers.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor had termed the action "regrettable".

Toyota Kirloskar Motor, the subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp of Japan, had on March 16 declared a lockout, following the failure of talks between the management and the union over wage negotiation.

The union is demanding a wage hike of Rs 4,000 as against Rs 3,050 proposed by the management.

On March 24 the lockout was lifted, with employees not resuming work as they objected to signing a good conduct undertaking as demanded by the company.

Yesterday, TKM Vice-Chairman and Whole-Time Director Shekar Viswanathan said: "Around 300 team members have reported back to work after signing good conduct undertaking...".

He had said there are about 1,200 supervisory staff inside the plant working in the assembly line, apprentice staff of about 800 and about 400 contract labour.

"This contract labours and apprentice are within the limits authorised by labour department.

However, TKMEU General Secretary N Raghu had said "very few about 30 employees" had gone the first day, but they too came out the very day.