Toyota Kirloskar promises fair enquiry in labour unrest case

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has reiterated that fair and transparent domestic enquiries duly adhering to the principles of natural justice will be conducted to arrive at a speedy conclusion to the suspension pending enquiry (SPE) cases at its Karnataka plant.

The company said in a release the TKM management participated in a meeting called by the Karnataka government on Monday, and promised a fair enquiry. Additionally, it said that workplace improvement is a continuous process at TKM and the company has a system in place to address workability issues.

At the meeting, the company also re-emphasised that TKM is a people-centric company that believes in adopting a fair and transparent approach, and that discipline is a fundamental requisite for ensuring safety and quality, and not just for the smooth functioning of an organisation.

Plant investments

Talking about the company’s financial commitment to the plant, a TKM spokesman said as of 2020, it has directly invested approximately ₹9,500 crore, while the total investments, including those of its dealers and suppliers, is around ₹18,000 crore. TKM has provided employment to over 6,100 workers directly, and another 42,000 people through its value chain, the spokesperson said.

In the last two fiscal years, the total taxes paid by TKM along with its dealers and suppliers was around ₹24,000 crore of which approximately ₹18,000 crore were from TKM. This includes GST, income tax, road-tax, registration tax etc.

On the company’s presence in Karnataka, it said the company’s passion towards building vibrant communities is an integral part of its two decade journey in India. This was further strengthened through scalable investments in social areas like health and hygiene, environment, education, safety etc. Since 2007 the total CSR expenditure made by TKM alone is more than ₹150 crore, which was estimated to help touch over 18 lakhs lives, the company said.