Jaipur: Workers of auto component maker Bosch India at its Jaipur plant have gone on a strike protesting retrenchment of 170 employees.

Describing the strike as illegal, Bosch India Vice President Ashok Abraham said that the negotiations are in progress between the company management and Mico Bosch Labour Union (MBLU) Jaipur.

“The union has struck work without serving appropriate notice even while conciliation proceedings are ongoing before the Joint Labour Commissioner,” Abraham said.

MBLU President Bhagwan Ranawat, however, said that the union has given the strike notice to the management on 15 October.

Services of as many as 118 workmen were terminated and that of 59 apprentices were discontinued at the plant citing slowdown in the automotive industry.

MBLU have been on a strike since Monday demanding the withdrawal of termination orders and absorption apprentices whose services had been terminated by the company management.

“The services of apprentices have been terminated in the wake of global meltdown. The service condition of apprentices clearly describes that on successful completion of training period they can be absorbed only when there is vacancy. Since the demands are down by 45% we are not recruiting any workman,” Abraham said.

The union is also demanding a salary revision to attain parity with the workmen of other plants like Nasik, Bangalore, Naganathapura (near Bangalore) and Goa.