Work at Mahindra's Igatpuri plant may resume from April 23

Work at auto-major Mahindra & Mahindra's engine manufacturing facility at Igatpuri near Nashik is likely to resume from Tuesday with the management agreeing to reinstate two suspended employees.

Work has been stalled at the plant for the last 13 days following the "tools down" agitation by workers.

The decision to call off the agitation that began from April 9 was taken after the intervention of Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, who had a meeting with Pawan Goenka, President of Automotive and Farm Equipment division of Mahindra Group, on Saturday.

"Pawan Goenka had a meeting on the issue with our president Uddhav Thackeray... following which the management agreed to revoke suspension of two workers and also withdraw chargesheet proceedings against them. The work will be resumed and the agitation will be called off," President of Bhartiya Kamgar Sena, affiliated to Shiv Sena, Suryakant Mahadik said.

He said Thackeray had an hour-long meeting with the Union Committee in Mumbai and they were apprised of the management's decision and asked to withdraw their agitation.

Around 1,600 employees, including contract workers, were on protest since early this month against the suspension of Sunil Yadav, president of the Bharatiya Kamgar Sangh, and another worker. The union has been demanding their reinstatement.

"I am going to meet the workers at the plant tomorrow and I hope the agitation will be called off at 11 am," Mahadik said.

When contacted, company officials refused to comment.

According to some estimates, the company has suffered a production loss of around 8,000 units during the agitation. The plant produces 1,100 engines per day in three shifts for Mahindra's vehicles such as XUV 500, Bolero, Xylo, Genio and Maxximo.