The two-week-long strike by the workers at Bosch's Adugodi plant has been called off following a Karnataka Government order that has referred the issue for adjudication to the Industries Tribunal.

According to Mr Raghavendra, executive committee member, Mico Employees Association (MEA), the Government has referred three issues for adjudication — outsourcing and ancillarisation, the tool down strike and plant shutdown, and the loss to employees due to the shutdown — and has given the parties six months to resolve the issue.

“Workers will hence call off the strike and be back at the factory starting from the first shift at 6 a.m tomorrow (Friday),” Mr Raghavendra told Business Line .

The employees have been on a ‘Tool Down' and relay hunger strike over the last 16 days, fighting the Bosch (formerly Mico) management's move to outsource manufacturing of certain components made at the plant. Following the announcement of the ‘Tool Down' strike on September 28, the company had informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that the plant would be shut down.

“The Government of Karnataka prohibits the strike and has ordered the strike to be called off immediately and unconditionally, and the MEA has given us a letter saying the strike will be called off,” an official from Bosch told Business Line .

“The calling off of the 16-day strike after a series of deliberations has been welcomed by the Bosch management who stood firm by their decision of outsourcing – a 20-year-old practice in the interest of the organisation and customers,” Bosch said in a press statement.

The Bosch management looks forward to MEA's cooperation and participation in such significant decisions that are imperative for Bosch to stay competitive in the market and meet its commitment to valued customers, the statement said.

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