Tata Motors Employees Union extends support to Ratan Tata

Mumbai: Stating that they have lost faith in the leadership of ousted Chairman Cyrus Mistry, Tata Motors Employees Union has extended support to Ratan Tata, the interim Chairman of Tata Sons.

The 7,250-member-strong Union rubbished allegations made by Mistry in his letter to the shareholders of the group firms that a `key reform measure` was undermined to get the trade unions` support.

The Union, in a letter issued on Wednesday, stated that the loss of confidence in Mistry resulted from its members remaining unconvinced of the `Measure for Performance` initiative even after 16 meetings were held on the issue.

"Keeping in mind the fact that in spite of verbal assurance given by our seniors in the management that an amicable settlement would be arrived at within a fortnight and since over 15 months have passed with no concrete action taken, the Union has now lost faith in Mistry`s leadership which is often deliberately misleading," the letter from Tata Motors` Union stated.

Emphasising the need for workmen and management to be two sides of a well-balanced equation in any company, the letter by the Union expressed shock that a person of Mistry`s stature would resort to such `immature actions`.

"The management and the workmen are not two opposites, but rather two sides of a well-balanced equation," the letter elaborated. 

"Henceforth, the Tata Motors Employees` Union and all its workmen will support Ratan Tata."

The Tata Motors Union also denounced inferences in Mistry`s earlier communication that their office bearers` calling on Tata would in turn impact the ongoing discussions between the management of Tata Motors and the Tata Motors Employees` Union on the "Productivity-Linked Wage Settlement".

The Union, in its letter, termed the allegation as a `lie` and said the meeting with Tata on November 10, 2016 was planned well in advance and not one to negotiate a deal.

At the meeting, Tata had appealed to all the workers of Tata Motors to work hard for the benefit of the company.

The Union explained that it did not discuss any issue or topic related to long-term wage settlement.

The letter also specifically placed focus on the `Settlements` of 2003, 2006 and 2009 under the leadership of Tata, where the Union had accepted quality, productivity, safety and profit-linked wage agreement linked to the prosperity of the company, which showed continuous improvements till 2012.

The Union`s letter comes a day after Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) removed Tata Sons` ousted Chairman Mistry from its board of Directors.

With IANS Inputs