The Hindu Business Line : Toyota workers resume production

NEARLY 900 Toyota Kirloskar workers were on Saturday detained for defying ban orders even as the company resumed production at its plant near Bangalore.

Narrating the events of the day, a workers' union representative told Business Line that the workers failed to make it to the factory in the morning as the State Government buses deployed to pick them up did not turn up. "We suspect the hand of BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) authorities in not allowing the buses to pick us up," he said.

The workers had decided to go to the factory on Saturday and seek another round of talks with the management. But the workers who had assembled near the city corporation offices could not make it to the factory as the Government buses which had been hired to transport them did not turn up, a union representative said. The union members numbering around 900 then trooped to the State Labour Secretary's office to seek an appointment. As the police had issued prohibitory orders there, the workers were rounded up and taken to the outskirts of the city. They are expected to be released later, a representative of the union said.

A company spokesperson said there was no need for the workers to hire government buses to ferry them to the factory as the company itself had provided buses for them. "In fact some of the workers travelled in our buses to reach the factory," he said.

200 join duty: Meanwhile, a press statement from Toyota said more than 200 workers resumed work on Saturday after the company lifted the lock out.

"Over 200 workers have resumed work at the plant this morning, after signing the good conduct declaration. We have also got calls from many team members who stay in North and South Karnataka, informing us that they are on their way to Bangalore to resume duty. They were apprehensive of the threat of violence from the union. However, we expect most of the team members to attend work in a few days," the Toyota Kirloskar Motor General Manager for corporate planning, Mr A.R. Shankar, said.