Hindustan Times
Carnama
On a sunny Wednesday morning in December last year, the top management of India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki were busy patting their back at the Gurgaon plant, the country’s largest car factory till date, for regularly exceeding targets and producing more cars than capacity at each of their plants.
The Indian automotive industry has been on a bull run for close to 3 years (see graphic) and not even the global economic downturn of 2008 could upset the trajectory. If at all, the breather in 2008-09 provided the springboard for an even stronger run in the next two years.
Under prepared for such growth, companies piled onto existing factories demanding more and more vehicles to be produced. Both in Guragaon and Manesar, Maruti produces atleast 25% more cars than the installed capacity. This year, Hyundai aims to produce 6.7 lakh cars instead of 6 lakh that is the stated capacity in its 2 plants.
The frenzied pace of growth is duplicated in numerous downstream automotive parts factories that provide critical components to the industry around the country. Everybody is stretching the boundaries of automotive production.
It is perhaps this cataclysmic growth with its strains on the workforce that has found manifestation in the increased instances of labour unrest in the sector. Since the infamous worker’s unrest at Honda’s two wheeler plant in Manesar back in 2005, over 30 instances of strikes and lockouts, big and small have been reported around the country.
Maruti’s current problems at Manesar, its first in 10 years, is the biggest but only the tip of the iceberg.
The trigger : Deteriorating condition of workers
Workers allege that while the work load has increased, little attention is paid to the conditions at the factory. At Manesar workers are entitled to just two 7 and a half minute break in one shift of 8 hours besides a half an hour lunch break at Manesar. That has remained unchanged even as production increased from 200,000 to 300,000 to 350,000 cars per annum. The fact that condition at the shop floor has become strained does not cut much ice with companies.
“For so many years, Gurgaon has produced more cars and operated in this framework, I dont know why Manesar workers cant do the same?” says Bhargava. “You cannot have different rules for different factories when the nature of work is the same. If at all, Manesar is more automated.”
Another bone of contention is the productivity linked incentives that workers get. Workers are rewarded for full attendance with incentives that are as high as 17-18% of their total salary. While this is intended to encourage productivity it can also be viewed as a means to discourage absenteeism including availing leaves that are entitled to them.
“To maintain the equipment and machinery of the plant, periodic shut downs are scheduled but there is no such empathy for workers,” said Shiv Kumar, general secretary of the unrecognised Maruti Suzuki Enployees Union. “If a worker falls ill for even 2 days, he ends up losing money.”
Even as that may be true, it is also a fact that work in a factory especially on an assembly line cannot be like a 9 to 5 office job. Even if 10 officials in an office do not report to work on a single day, it does not bring work to a complete stand still. In a factory and for critical functions it might as well can. Hence, incentives for attendance and lack of it for absentees is more a necessity.
“Work at the shop floor is a critical domain and pay has to be linked to the productivity,” said Arvind Saxena, director, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. “Otherwise how will you ensure consistency in production which is an integral part of our business.”
The moot point : right to form a union
While issues like wages have been the more common reason for some of the strikes, the main reason for prolonged estranged relations between management and workforce has been the demand to form a union. Companies have traditionally been reluctant to engage with more than one union, not only because it is unheard of in their native countries but also because it often leads to more problems.
Forming a union is often seen as a way to get more out of the management but has been exploited by individuals as well. Denying it however becomes a tricky issue as workers claim it is a fundamental undeniable right.
At Manesar for example the existing union — Maruti Udyog Kamgar Union, is viewed as pro management and dominated by representatives from Gurgaon. A separate union would cater to more specific needs of the factory.
A union would still not mean the end of all troubles for good. What would however is a little more empathy from the companies and a little less flippancy from workers.
(9 votes, average: 4.78 out of 5)
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The politicians and bereaucrats have a chip on their shoulder and an inferiority complex where army men are concerned. Therefore these scumbags never miss an oppurtunity to humiliate army people. They humiliated upright heroes like General Thimayya and Field Marshal Manekshaw among others. They praise Bin Laden as ‘Osamaji’. The megalomaniac Krishna Menon, defence minister under Nehru, used to call the Army Chief for 4am meetings for silly reasons. He and Nehru caused the army’s defeat in 1962 by their shoddy mishandling.
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UPA II has faux passed all its governance in the last 3 years.It has abdicated its responsibility in 2G scam CWG scam Adarsh Scam and now the army chief age problem.PM is statue in PMs house.He is not taking any action himself but doing all his talks by promptings by sonia.DM is under sonia.The issue of age of COAS is a issue which should have solved by PM himself but as he didnot took any decision huimself it is made muddy.Now SC would have to say whatever it likes but damage has been done 2 army and govt.
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If the homosexuals give up their ‘ in your face’ attitude and missionary kind proselytizing,they would be pretty nice guys.
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Karan Thakur Reply:
April 7th, 2012 at 10:25 am
I agree. I’m still being pretty nice and obeying almost every rule, law religion where as see for yourself my homophobic friends…
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Re: The rising number of rapes.
Are the numbers rising, or is it that women feel more confident in REPORTING sexual assaults? If it’s the latter, while still horrible they were attacked, it’s a sign of a progressing society.
What happens in the bedrooms of consenting adults should not be legislated by governments or religions. If you want to live in a free and equal society, you have to learn tolerance.
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Educational advancement and economic progress would make our society tolerant and humane in time. Its good that the courts have pushed the envelope so some extent.
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Its like you’re not aware of truth of your very own culture Go to Wikipedia and visit the places and temples and sites which shows Homosexual Practices in older Hindu religion. Search more, to know more, because less knowledge is always a dangerous knowledge
And anyhow, Someone being homosexual cant express his sexuality even in locked doors with their lovers means Violation of Right to Expression/Speech/PRIVACY.
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Exactly, I agree they should’ve written more supportive examples. Anyhow, I still appreciate HT(Hindustan Times) for spreading awareness. And we always have sites like Wikipedia to guide us with even better examples.. and real sights, place, temples, etc.
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Its a way of Nature and Nature made Homosexuals & Heterosexuals.
Go read about Homosexuality in Nature. You’ll get to see that Nature not only made Human Beings as Homo/Heterosexuals, there are over 1000s of species of animals too, and still counting.
Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexual_behavior_in_animals
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Yes, it does… and over 10+ friend’s family too support it
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Somebody, wants to see personal issues by ignoring the mass affect happening to Homosexual ppl out there. Baby they were born that way. And There is nothing wrong with it. Go up and read my other posts+links.
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Because they’re our god and they thought us the way of life and we must follow that… And There is nothing wrong with being Gay
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Totally, senseless and baseless comment…
My dear its nothing like this…
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Gods/Gurus came to show us the right path and to enlighten us,
Not become rigid and narrow minded and life always teaches something new.
“Human Being is all about Evolution, not stagnation.
Religion was also meant for making human civilized not rigid”.
And No Religion/Culture reads being homosexual is wrong, be it any religion.
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