Just when sales were picking up, Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s plant, on the outskirts of Bangalore, has been forced to declare a lockout. The move was a result of a workers’ agitation following the suspension of an employee for indiscipline. The union went on a strike demanding that the suspended worker be reinstated, since an enquiry was still pending in his case.
The Company, however, maintains that the worker in question was suspended for misconduct, which is against the Company’s service policy. It also points out that the strike is illegal and it is unlawful for the protesting workers to be staying in the premises.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor, which is a unit of Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. has two plants in Bidadi, that manufacture vehicles, such as Innova, Fortuner and Camry Hybrid. These plants, which employe about 6,500 workers, together produce about 310,000 vehicles a year.
Production will only resume after the situation becomes normal. The agitation comes at a time when after a long period of falling sales, the demand for passenger cars had begun to pick up. In fact, 14 per cent more wholesale dispatches of passenger cars had taken place in October as compared to the same period in 2019.
Toyota had sold four per cent more cars to dealers in October, 2020 as compared to last year.
The customer demand will now be fulfilled with the cars that are in stock at the factory and at the dealers’.
