Maruti Suzuki’s ‘good conduct bond’, which the company requires its workers to sign before they can enter the manufacturing unit again, has been dismissed by the Government of India and declared as an “arbitrary act”. Further, the government stated that forcing the workers to sign the bond amounts to ‘unfair labor practice’.
According to Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, Labor and Employment Minister, “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 labor practice as given in the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.” The statement was given by the minister in reply to the question put up by various other ministers in Lok Sabha.
Marut Suzuki’s Manesar plant management imposed a condition of submitting a good conduct bond signed by workers in order to curb the widespread indiscipline at the manufacturing unit. The company also reported acts of sabotage and production of defective vehicles. Thus, the bond became a prerequisite for gaining entry into the premises.