Riot police squash Hyundai supplier strike, scatter workers

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011 @ 1:19 p.m.

Leftlane reported just yesterday that a key supplier of engine components for Hyundai and Kia vehicles was threatening to bring production of several vehicles to a halt due to an ongoing labor strike.

Today, local South Korean riot police paid a less-than-friendly visit to the striking workers, forcefully scattering them and removing them from the factory, according to Reuters. The workers are striking in an effort to gain a higher wage and new shift systems that are more worker friendly.

The strike is proving to be a major potential problem for Hyundai and sister company Kia as the single supplier, Yoosung Enterprise, provides 70 percent of all piston rings used in their engines. Despite the risk, Hyundai told The Wall Street Journal that it is confident production will resume soon now that police have removed the striking workers.

References
1.’S.Korean Police…’ view
2.’Riot police…’ view

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GM could fire striking workers at India plant

Tuesday, Mar 29th, 2011 @ 2:16 p.m.

A nearly two-week long strike at General Motors’ Halol, India, assembly plant has motivated the automaker to hire a new temporary staff and to issue an ultimatum to striking workers.

About 250 of GM’s 900 workers went on strike on March 16. As a result, production dropped from 100 vehicles per shift to 70.

“Workers cannot earn their wages at the cost of their lives – they are popping pain-killers owing to workload,” said the workers union’s general secretary, Nihil Mehta. The union argues that GM increased production from 176 to 208 units daily without a commensurate increase in pay.

GM says that it gave the workers until March 25 to show up for work. Now, the automaker says it is looking into the legality of letting the 250 striking workers go.

To temporarily stave off a product drought, GM has hired enough temporary staff to bring production back up to speed.

“We have started hiring people and production of vehicles is going up,” GM India Vice President P. Balendran told Indian media. The automaker builds a variety of Chevrolet products primarily aimed at the fast-growing Indian market in Halol.

GM says that the strike has cost the company 850 vehicles, but the new temporary hires have helped increase production.

References
1.’General Motors India…’ view
1.’Halol strike: GM’s…’ view

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GM temporarily lays off workers due to part shortage fallout

Tuesday, Mar 22nd, 2011 @ 6:55 a.m.

Due to a bottleneck in parts following the devastation in Japan, General Motors was forced to temporarily close its Shreveport, Louisiana, plant, which is responsible for producing the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. Now, the fallout has taken its toll even further, causing GM to temporarily lay off workers at a supply plant that feeds the operations in Shreveport.

While GM will not be totally closing the Tonawanda engine plant in Buffalo, New York, the automaker says it will be temporarily laying off 59 of its 623 workers at the plant, according to The Detroit Free Press. The 59 workers will continue to be compensated roughly 75 percent of their working wages, despite not having to report to work until circumstances change.

GM failed to specify exactly which parts caused the work stoppage, nor did the automaker have an expected date to return to full capacity.

References
1.’GM to lay off…’ view

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