Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has agreed to lift the lockout at its plants on Monday, on certain conditions, according to the TKM employees? union which participated in conciliatory talks on Thursday. The development came even as the company suspended a few of its employees for serious misconduct.
The management has asked for the employees to give undertakings but the union has not agreed to this demand, said Prasanna Kumar, president of the union, after the meeting. A Toyota spokesperson could not confirm the development at the time of going to press.
Thursday?s talks were largely with regard to the lifting of lockout and not about the wage negotiations, he added. The car maker?s two plants near Bangalore remained shut for the fifth day.
?A decision to suspend some of the members pending inquiry, for serious misconduct, was taken earlier in the week. This is in line with the company?s rules and regulations,? the company said in a statement issued earlier in the day.
Toyota did not specify the number of employees it suspended.
?We have not received the notice of suspension,? said Prasanna Kumar.
The conciliatory meeting between management and the union in the presence of Karnataka labour department officials had begun on Wednesday, a day after both parties had apprised Karnataka?s labour minister of the situation.
