Nearly 900 employees working at the Hyundai Motors plant near Chennai were taken into custody on Wednesday.

The workers had been on indefinite strike from April 20 demanding the recognition of the Hyundai Motor India Employees union, the only registered union at the plant.

Hyundai has so far been refusing to negotiate with the 1,500-strong workers force.

Around 500 employees of Hyundai Motors today went on sudden indefinite fast protesting the alleged absence of management representatives

“After participating in four conciliation meetings, the representatives from the management did not come for the last three meetings. Therefore, we went on an indefinite fast today,” CITU Tamil Nadu President A Sounderrajan, who is also the President of the Hyundai employees union, said on May 4.

He said the fast would continue till a solution is arrived at.

Members of the Hyundai Motor India Employees Union commenced the fast at the office of the Commissioner of Labour in Chennai. The union has been spearheading an indefinite strike since April 20 demanding recognition and solution to some labour-related issues.

When contacted, HMIL Corporate Communication Head Rajiv Mitra said: “We are monitoring the situation and it is under control. Only a minority of workers have joined the illegal strike.”

The company’s production at the plant was 90 per cent as on today, he said, adding “we are trying to resolve the issue”.

Earlier, the strike notice was issued on March 18.

*HYUNDAI HIT*

Hyundai Motor India, says it is expecting to end the deadlock at its Chennai facility within a few days, while admitting that the strike by its employees at the unit has impacted production.

“Only a few people have joined the strike at the plant in Chennai. Daily production at the facility has been affected by 3-4 per cent, which is marginal,” Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) Senior Vice-President (Marketing and Sales) Arvind Saxena said.

He, however, declined to elaborate on the demands of the workers at the plant.

“The management is talking to them. We should handle and solve it in a few days,” Saxena said.

Earlier this week, around 500 employees of HMIL went on a sudden indefinite fast protesting the alleged absence of management representatives for a conciliatory meeting to end the strike at Sriperumbudur unit.

Members of the Hyundai Motor India Employees Union commenced the fast at the office of the Commissioner of Labour in Chennai. The union has been spearheading an indefinite strike since April 20 demanding solutions to some labour-related issues.

According to a HMIL spokesperson earlier, the company’s production at the plant was 90 per cent on the first day of the fast.

Earlier, the strike notice was issued on March 18, 2009.

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KCTU will organize press conference to support the Indian auto workers in front of the Hyundai Motor Headquarter in cooperation with KMWU(Korean Metal Workers Union) and its affiliate, Hyundai Motor Branch in Korea.

We are kindly requesting you to send a protest letter to the below address.

TO:

Mr. Seung Suk YANG,

President, Hyundai Motor

231, Yangjae-Dong, Seocho-Gu

Seoul 137-938, SOUTH KOREA

Fax: +82-2-3464-3520

Cc:

Mr. Heung Soo LHEEM

Managing Director, Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL)

39 T T K Road, Alwarpet

Alwarpet

Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 018 INDIA

In Solidarity,

Lee Changgeun

International Executive Director