Tata Motors, the country's largest automobile manufacturer, has undertaken a 3 day block closure at its Jamshedpur manufacturing facility, starting from January 14, 2013. The development was confirmed by a Tata Motors' spokesperson, who said that the closure has been undertaken, in order to bring a balance between unit production and demand of its products. It has also been revealed that the company will ensure workforce attendance during the block closure stands at half the usual. Tata Motors' Jamshedpur production unit assembles heavy commercial vehicles, along with engines, cabs and cowls.
The latest closure at Tata Motors' Jamshedpur manufacturing unit is second in the last two weeks. The company had also undertaken a similar block closure in the month end of December 2012, which went on for seven days. Chandrabhan Singh, General Secretary (GS) of Telco Workers Union, confirmed the week stop in production at the facility last year. Further, Singh stands firm with the opinion that the company's decision was necessary and imminent, on account of slow sales and weak demand for the products during the ongoing fiscal. Reportedly, Tata Motors had undertaken a total fortnight long clock closure during 2012 calendar year.
According to Chandrabhan Singh, Tata Motors' 15 days long block closure at Jamshedpur plant was ensued as a both control and precautionary measure. The motive was to compensate for slackening sales, because of the prevalent slowdown going on in the domestic auto market last year. Singh further informed that the company assembled just 4,000 units in December 2012, which was far below the general production output of 10,000 units per month. Commenting on the monthly production at Jamshedpur unit during January 2013, Singh was quoted as saying, “We are expecting to produce as many units in the current month as well.”
