With settlement with its agitating workers corporate governance is questioned at Maruti Suzuki

Shyamal Majumdar: In letter, but not in spirit: Shyamal Majumdar: In letter, but not in spirit
Maruti would do well to make adequate disclosures about its private deal with a few union leaders
Shyamal Majumdar / Mumbai�November 11, 2011, 0:34 IST

It took just about a week for Sonu Gujjar to convert his carefully cultivated image of a new-age workers’ hero to that of a traitor — an adjective being used quite liberally these days by his followers who had once trusted him implicitly. In many ways, this is a familiar script — there have been not-so-publicised instances in the past in which the so-called union leaders have led a troop of disgruntled workers to stop production only to slyly broker a side-deal with the management.

Gujjar has since denied receiving Rs 40 lakh from Maruti Suzuki, as the media had reported, and told this newspaper in an interview that he and 29 other suspended employees got Rs 16 lakh each, which included dearness allowance, provident fund and the salary due if they had worked till they were 52 years of age.