Daily Lessons from Life 21 July 2012 - India's Maruti locks out workers at riot-hit plant

"India's Maruti locks out workers at riot-hit plant - AFP 21 July 2012

NEW DELHI: India's top carmaker Maruti Suzuki said on Saturday it was locking out workers at one of its plants hit by a riot in which one manager burned to death and nearly 100 other executives were injured.

The lockout at Japanese-owned Maruti's Manesar plant near New Delhi that produces 550,000 vehicles a year -- one-third of annual output -- would continue until the safety of its employees could be assured, the company said.

Workers chased Maruti executives with iron bars, destroyed equipment and torched offices in the last Wednesday's riot, according to witnesses, marking India's worst industrial violence in recent memory.

The CEO Bhargava said the riot at the factory, which makes some of Maruti's top-selling cars such as its hugely popular Swift hatchback, was a "shocker" for the company despite a history of troubled labour relations at the plant.

The charred body of the plant's human resources manager, Awanish Kumar Dev, was found in a burned-out conference room. Police said he had been unable to flee the flames because attackers had broken his legs.The plant which employs some 3,000 workers had been closed since Wednesday's violence.

Bhargava said production would not restart until an investigation into the riot was finished and action taken to guarantee a peaceful industrial climate.

In response to repeated questions about how long the plant would be shut, Bhargava replied: "We will be very inefficient if we take six months. I don't think we are that bad." "

Whao! Thought this only happened in the movies!

Lessons for me are:

1. it is terrible to die on the job! Much worst when one was beaten and had one's legs broken and then left to burn to death accordingly to the unconfirmed report here! How could this happen? It is simply insane and senseless and barbaric!;

2. a history of dissent and accumulated hatreds for the 'rulers' boiled over this time. I hope the organisers NEVER had this death and burning and injuring people as their original intention. Yet, when emotional run high, rationality had no chance! Spurt of the moment action with life long impact!! Sadly a person is dead! Over what? Working conditions and pay!!;

3. are the working conditions that bad in this plant that someone has to pay with his or her life? Is that how the leaders of the workers union settle score in this part of the world? If so, what is to stop us from confronting the perceived 'mistreatment by the management'? Can one NOT talk it over and resolve it gentlemanly?.

Will such case happen in China? I hope not!! Amen!!