NEW DELHI, Aug. 26 (Kyodo) — Suzuki Motor Corp. Chairman Osamu Suzuki met Sunday in New Delhi with the chief minister of India's northern state of Haryana where a Suzuki car plant was wracked by violence last month following a labor dispute.
Suzuki and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda are believed to have discussed future operations in Haryana by Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., the Suzuki subsidiary whose plant in Manesar was shut down for a month due to the July 18 violence.
Rampaging workers scuffled with plant supervisors, leaving a general manager dead and 96 supervisors and managers injured including two Japanese workers.
Production only resumed last Tuesday.
Maruti Suzuki, India's largest automaker, produces most of its cars in Haryana, and cooperation of the state government in ensuring a stable operational environment is seen by the company as essential for its future success there.
To ensure the safety and security of Maruti Suzuki employees, the Haryana government is setting up a "rapid action force" of 500 police personnel, with 100 of them to be posted at the Manesar plant per shift, augmented by a special force of 100 security guards created by the company itself.
Managers and supervisors have also been provided with "personal security officers, while security arrangements have been made at their residences.
Maruti Suzuki has fired about 500 fulltime employees who were implicated in the violence.