An employee, who was terminated for misconduct at Ford India’s plant at Sanand, Gujarat, happened to be a union leader too, and therefore, his dismissal angered the union. Calling the termination illegal, the union gathered outside the gate of the plant, along with other workers and organised a strike. The concerned employee was accused of misbehaving with his peers, including a woman employee.
Ford India, with its zero tolerance policy towards any kind of bullying or intimidation by anyone within the workplace, has been trying to resolve the issue by discussing the same with the union and the state labour department. The Company maintains that it was acting within its rights by taking disciplinary action against an individual who, after proper investigation, was found to be in the wrong.
While it is not clear to what extent the plant’s functioning has been affected, it is reported that only a single shift is running presently at the plant that manufactures Aspire, the compact-sedan model.
Earlier this year, in February, over 800 workers of the same plant had raised their voices over wage settlement and also rejected meals.
Last year, the Company’s plant in Maraimalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu had faced similar issues. The workers expressed their disapproval when a few of their co-workers had been terminated by the management, for violating the code of integrity.
