Yazaki reinstates over 43 workers; protests to continue until all are taken back

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Yielding to the pressure built by protesting employees, the automotive component maker Yazaki India has reinstated 45 of the 153 workers it had laid off, allegedly without notice. Yazaki India, a subsidiary of the Tokyo headquartered Yazaki Corporation, is located in Lakkenahalli village in Maddur taluk, Ramanagara district.

The firm had allegedly terminated the services of 53 workers without even providing them a notice or genuine reason on December 13, instigating an indefinite strike by the laid off employees with the support of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU).

Another 100 employees who joined the protest in solidarity were also terminated the next day. After a series of meetings with the management, overseen by the district administration, the company on Tuesday agreed to take back 45 workers and has promised to reinstate the rest of the workers in the following days.

Arindam R, a district committee member of AICCTU told News Trail that 16 workers have already rejoined. “This is because of the spirit of the workers and the kind of fight they have put up on the factory gates.

The movement will go on till all the 150 workers are taken back,” he added. The next meeting brokered by the deputy labour commissioner (DLC) is set for January 23. While the reinstatement demands are being met, the calls for change in worker conditions have gone significantly unheard.

Of the 3,500 employees at the firm, at least half of the workers are migrants from North Karnataka, hailing from Koppal, Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Bidar and other districts. Out of the 3,500 employees only 130 are permanent workers, the rest have been hired to work on contract basis for a span of two and three years and over 1,500- 2000 of them are hired as trainees.  

“The main issue is that they hire workers as trainees but these employees work independently. They are made to remain trainees for three years and are promoted from trainee operator to associate trainee,” Arindam explained, highlighting the anti-worker policy.

The employees claim that they are paid anywhere between Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,500 per month regardless of their qualifications and skill set, while the permanent employees are paid Rs 25,000 and above.

“These issues have been raised in the movement and with the labour department,” Arindam said, adding that their current focus remains on reinstatement of all the employees that have been terminated.