GM India Workers Go on Strike

The work at the GM Halol plant in Gujarat, India, stopped today due to a strike of the workers there, who are demanding an increase in wages. The strike started as the plant was getting ready to start the first shift.

No less than 450 people refused to go to work yesterday morning and they are still doing so in this second day. Their demands are currently being heard by GM executives, who enganged in talks with the unhappy workers.

GM produces several models at Halol, namely the Aveo U-Va, Aveo sedan, Optra sedan, Cruze and Taveral. The production lines spit out on a regular basis 150 cars every day, assembled by roughly 900 workers. The strike has caused some serious disturbance in the manufacturing chain.

"So far, there has been production loss of 225 units due to the employee strike at the Halol plant. The production in first shift could not commence today," GM India vice-oresident P Balendran was quoted as saying by PTI. "Discussion with the employees was underway and we hope to resume work very soon, may be from today itself."

Before the strike, the carmaker, who sold 83,090 units in India this year, planned to introduce a third shift at the Halol facility. This, combined to the fact that workers say they have been promised a hike in salary, led to this week's strike.

"When it comes to publicity, they call themselves a multinational company but our salaries are less than half of what other automobile companies are paying to their employees. We are protesting in a systematic manner,” one worker told indianexpress.com.