Yazaki workers threatened by local leader

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The protesting employees of the automotive component maker, Yazaki India, have alleged that they have been threatened by an influential person for waging a protest against their illegal layoffs. Several videos of the incident have been making rounds on social media, where the person can be seen having an altercation with the workers.

On January 17, K P Brungesh, who is a part of the directorial board of BMTC as a political appointee and belonging to the BJP in the Nelamangala region, allegedly claimed that he was the landowner of the protest site.

“We are still investigating if he is the land owner but he claimed so, and wanted us to go away and the f lags removed,” said Arindam, a district committee member of AICCTU.

“Many abuses were hurled at the workers, while the police were present at the site, trying to mitigate the situation”, he informed. The workers have filed a complaint at the local police station and have also represented the issue to the district commissioner and the superintendent of police.

“He is also a close associate of the management of Yazaki and the human resources manager Chandra Shekar. He had previously represented the management in one of the reconciliation meetings at the deputy labour commissioner’s meeting,” Arindam.

Recently, yielding to the pressure built by protesting employees, Yazaki had reinstated 45 of the 153 workers it had laid off, allegedly without notice.