Toyota lock out: Employee on hunger strike hospitalised

        Bangalore, Apr 5 (PTI) The management-employees standoff
over lockout at Toyota Kirloskar Motor's two plants at Bidadi
near here persisted today even as one of the employees on
indefinite hunger strike was hospitalised owing to low blood
pressure.
        "Our fasting has entered fourth day today, 25 of our
employees are still fasting. Four of them are suffering from
low BP and one has been hospitalised," Toyota Kirloskar
Employees Union Joint Secretary N Raghu told PTI.
        He said "we want government to intervene soon and take
care of us."
        TKMEU General Secretary R Satish said "health of our
employees on fast is going dull day by day, Union President
Prasanna Kumar is also on hunger strike."
        Twenty-five union members had begun indefinite day and
night hunger strike in front of the Bidadi plant on April 2
demanding that government intervene to resolve the deadlock,
and the company should allow employees to resume work without
any conditions and also withdraw suspension of workers.
        Toyota Kirloskar Motor had termed the action
"regrettable".
        Toyota Kirloskar Motor, the subsidiary of Toyota Motor
Corp of Japan, had on March 16 declared a lockout, following
the failure of talks between the management and the union over
wage negotiation.
        The union is demanding a wage hike of Rs 4,000 as against
Rs 3,050 proposed by the management.
        On March 24 the lockout was lifted, with employees not
resuming work as they objected to signing a good conduct
undertaking as demanded by the company.
        Yesterday, TKM Vice-Chairman and Whole-Time Director
Shekar Viswanathan said: "Around 300 team members have
reported back to work after signing good conduct
undertaking...".
        He had said there are about 1,200 supervisory staff inside
the plant working in the assembly line, apprentice staff of
about 800 and about 400 contract labour. "This contract
labours and apprentice are within the limits authorised by
labour department.
        However, TKMEU General Secretary N Raghu had said "very
few about 30 employees" had gone the first day, but they too
came out the very day.