The Shramik Ekta Mahasangh (SEM), an umbrella organisation that claims affiliation of 88 worker Unions in the Pune industrial belt, has said that all its members will make a demand for shares of their respective companies.

Social activist worker Medha Patkar will also lead a rally of workers to the Vidhan Sabha building in Mumbai, the SEM said in a statement.

The decision, to establish its solidarity with the demands of striking workers of Bajaj Auto was taken at a meeting today, Maruti Jagdale, an advisor to the SEM said, adding that notices demanding shares will be sent to various employers over the next few days. The member-Unions have also pledged preliminary financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per Bajaj Auto worker, he added.

Court rejects Plea

The Pune labour court judge has rejected the Bajaj Auto workers’ union’s application for more time and passed a “no written statement order” against it in today’s hearing of the petition filed by the motorcycle company.

July 29 has been set as the next date for the hearing. The Vishwakalyan Kamgar Sanghtana, the Bajaj Union was supposed to have filed its written statement in the court, and appointed a lawyer to enable the case to proceed.

However, the VKS gave a submission asking for four days’ adjournment stating that it was appealing against the labour court’s rejection of its earlier application asking Bajaj Auto to give them June payslips, in the industrial court.

N.S. Kole, labour court judge came down heavily on the Union observing that the Union was only interested in delaying the proceedings for one reason or the other, and did not seem to intend to file the written statement.

Therefore, the application for four days’ time was rejected, Kole said, adding that a ‘no written statement’ order was passed.

The hearing of the petition filed by Bajaj Auto seeking to declare the worker’s strike that began on June 25, illegal will now carry on.

Meanwhile, to make up for production loss at its Chakan plant, where Bajaj Auto makes its Pulsar, Avenger and KTM range of motorcycles, the company has shifted a part of the production to its Aurangabad plant.

On the BSE today, the Bajaj Auto share touched a high of Rs 2,007 before closing at Rs 1,978, slightly lower than its opening price.

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