Tkm Case
Labor Relations at TKM
From the time it started production operations in 2000, TKM had had a history of disturbed relations between the management and the workers. Prior to the strike and lockout in January 2006, the plant had experienced three other strikes: two in 2001, and a strike and a lockout in 2002 that lasted for almost two months. The first strike at TKM began in April 2001, and it went on for about two days. The second one was in June the same year. In 2002, the company decided to call the workers in two shifts to meet the increased demand for the company's cars. The first shift at TKM started at 8 AM and ended at 4 PM. The workers in this shift were asked to work overtime for four hours between 4 PM and 8 PM...
The Dispute
On January 05, 2006, TKM's management dismissed three workers out of the fifteen that had been suspended in February 2004. According to the management, the three workers, Prasanna, Sridhar Dhote, and Satish, had been dismissed as the year-long investigations carried out by TKM had proved that they were guilty of misconduct which included violent behavior, disruption of work, and assault on a supervisor...
The Negotiations
TKM's management presented the labor issue before V N Hittanagi (Hittanagi), the Deputy Labor Commissioner (DLC) of Karnataka (Region II). The management, however, maintained that it would not go back on its decision on not reinstating the dismissed workers. On January 09, 2006, the representatives of TKM, TKMEU, and the CITU were asked to present their case before the office of the DLC at a conciliatory
From the time it started production operations in 2000, TKM had had a history of disturbed relations between the management and the workers. Prior to the strike and lockout in January 2006, the plant had experienced three other strikes: two in 2001, and a strike and a lockout in 2002 that lasted for almost two months. The first strike at TKM began in April 2001, and it went on for about two days. The second one was in June the same year. In 2002, the company decided to call the workers in two shifts to meet the increased demand for the company's cars. The first shift at TKM started at 8 AM and ended at 4 PM. The workers in this shift were asked to work overtime for four hours between 4 PM and 8 PM...
The Dispute
On January 05, 2006, TKM's management dismissed three workers out of the fifteen that had been suspended in February 2004. According to the management, the three workers, Prasanna, Sridhar Dhote, and Satish, had been dismissed as the year-long investigations carried out by TKM had proved that they were guilty of misconduct which included violent behavior, disruption of work, and assault on a supervisor...
The Negotiations
TKM's management presented the labor issue before V N Hittanagi (Hittanagi), the Deputy Labor Commissioner (DLC) of Karnataka (Region II). The management, however, maintained that it would not go back on its decision on not reinstating the dismissed workers. On January 09, 2006, the representatives of TKM, TKMEU, and the CITU were asked to present their case before the office of the DLC at a conciliatory