Hero Honda strike ends

New Delhi, Apr 15 (UNI) The five-day labour strike at Hero Honda's Gurgaon factory has been called off with the management agreeing to review the agitating workers demands.

''Workers have called off their strike and the management has assured to review their demands favourably and sympathetically,'' Hero Honda Vice President and Gurgaon plant head, V S Kasbekar, told UNI.

After five days of hectic parlance, an amicable solution was reached late yesterday after the Hero Honda management accepted most of the demands laid out by the striking workers except for the regularisation issue.

''Production has already begun from today. We will also be working tomorrow (Sunday) to make up for the loss,'' Mr Kasbekar said.

Leader of the agitating workers, Devendar Pradhan, told the agency that the workers have been give a 30 per cent raise in salary along with two days of casual leave every month.

''We have also been given medical benefits as per the company rules,'' Mr Pradhan said.

However, Hero Honda has declined to divulge much on the issue.

The Gurgaon plant, which produces around 5,800 vehicles each day, has had no production since April 10.

As many as 2,000 contract workers struck work demanding among other things regularisation of jobs, higher wages and medical facilities among other benefits.

Hero Honda, India's biggest motorcycle company, had earlier agreed that it might be running production losses on a daily basis but said will make up for it by stepping up production when things are back to normal at the Gurgaon plant.

The company has decided to step up production to 6,500 units per day to cover up the production loss.

UNI SR SS PM1806