Government on Monday said that demanding good conduct bond from workers by Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) management during the recent labour unrest at its Manesar plant, was an arbitrary act and amounted to unfair labour practice. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said, demanding of good conduct bonds from workers as per conditions before allowing them to resume work is an arbitrary act and it also amounts to unfair labour practice as given in the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

The Minister said, Haryana Government had reported that management of Manesar plant had imposed a condition of submitting good conduct bond by workers for entering the unit as there was reported widespread indiscipline by workers and acts of sabotage and production of defective vehicles. The good conduct bond required the workers to declare they would not resort to go slow, intermittent stoppage of work, stay-in-strike, work-to-rule, sabotage or otherwise indulge in any activity which would hamper normal production in the factory.

AIR Correspondent adds that MSI had faced three instances of prolonged labour unrest at its Manesar plant this year. After a 13-day long strike in June at the Manesar unit by the workers, the plant suffered a 33-day long standoff when the management made signing of a 'good conduct bond' by workers a prerequisite to enter the factory premises to work.

After resolving the issue, the workers again struck work for 14 days at the plant in October. It ended with the management agreeing to take back 64 suspended and dismissed workers.