Bosch declares lock-out at Naganathapura plant

09 Mar 2010

Bosch Limited has declared a `lock-out' at its plant at Naganathapura, near Bangalore, with effect from 10:30 pm on Monday, after striking employees turned violent and resorted to intimidation of officers and managers of the company.

Workmen who were negotiating for wage settlement, resorted to threat of physical assault of managers and officers, the company said in a release.

"The decision has been taken considering the safety of employees, machineries and installations, as a result of workmen associates of the plant resorting to physical intimidation of managers and officers of the plant during their `go-slow' strike and subsequent `tool-down' strike," the release said.

The workmen of Naganathapura plant have been negotiating a long-term wage settlement with the company since the expiry of the last settlement on 31 December 2008, the release noted.

Workers belonging to the Mico Karmikara Sangha -Naganathapura (MKS-N) are demanding, inter alia, substantial increase in wages and enhanced medical facilities for the family members of employees.

The union submitted a new `charter of demands' on 29 July 2009. Since then the company management and the union representatives have had 14 sessions of negotiations on the issue, the release said.