BENGALURU: Opposition leader in the Assembly Siddaramaiah on Sunday visited the Toyota Kirloskar Motors manufacturing unit at Bidadi to meet protesting workers. Siddaramaiah was given a rousing welcome by the staff and their family members, who have been protesting for more than 80 days against the company management over increased work hours and alleged inhuman work conditions.
He sat with the protesters, listened to their woes and dialled Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar from the spot to request the government’s immediate intervention to solve the issue. “It is our State that has given land, water and electricity to Japan’s Toyota to start their manufacturing facility. It is wrong to impose Japan’s labour laws on employees here.
We don’t have any objection to a foreign company investing here. But it has to follow the laws of our land and treat its employees fairly,” he said after speaking to the protesters. Workers have alleged mistreatment and violation of labour laws at the manufacturing unit. “It has been three months since the protest began. The State Government should have resolved it by now.
When the labour minister could not solve it, at least the Chief Minister should have called for a meeting. Ramanagara district in-charge minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan mediated a meeting between the company and its employees. He said the problem was solved after just 20 minutes of meeting. Then why are employees still protesting,” Siddaramaiah asked. He assured the protesting employees that he will take up the issue during the ongoing Assembly session.