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The standoff between Bajaj Auto and its striking workers seems set to continue with the union claiming that it had a right to a share in the company’s profits (through employee stock options) as workers got a meagre 22 paise on every sale of the Pulsar, the flagship brand.
Functionaries of the Vishwakalyan Kamgar Sanghatana (VKS), the recognised labour union at Chakan, said the union has the support of 138 other unions operating in the neighbouring industrial belts, and warned of work stoppage across industry if the issue is not resolved.
“We have the support of the umbrella body Shramik Ekta Mahasangh, which has 88 unions under it,” Dilip Pawar, President, VKS said, adding that such a letter had also been delivered to the Pune Labour Commissioner on Thursday. While the Bajaj union has decided to resolve the issue only through bilateral dialogue, supporters would call for work stoppage in their respective companies in solidarity with their problems, Pawar said.
According to Pawar, each of the workers at Chakan got only 22 paise for every Pulsar sold, his math showing that after deducting the material cost, dealer commission, duty and company profit, a mere Rs 300 on each unit of the popular bike sold came the way of 1,450 workers. “This amounts to 22 paise for each worker,” Pawar calculated. Most among the 800-odd-strong crowd who listened to various union leaders’ speeches believe this is indeed so.
Predictably, Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto, trashed the claim unequivocally, calling it “contrived nonsense”. In reply to an email, he wrote: “Please, this is absurdly over-simplistic. If our costing was so well-known, do you think we could compete?”
Bajaj Auto, meanwhile, said that the union had refused to accept a labour court notice, delivered by a bailiff on Thursday, asking it to be present at a hearing. “Four avenues were used by the Court to convey that they should be present in the Court (on Wednesday), and all failed,” K.J. Zanzari, Vice-President, Manufacturing (Motorcycles), said, pointing out that no VKS member came to the Court.
The next hearing is scheduled for Monday, July 8.
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