Police beating Honda workers. File picture

Chandigarh, Jan. 11: The Haryana government has put all labour unions on watch after sensing that German auto giant Volkswagen is keen to set up a 300-million euro plant in the state.

The Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government was left red in the face in July last year when agitating workers of Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India clashed with police in Gurgaon.

After this episode, Volkswagen, which had earlier expressed interest in setting up the plant in Haryana, began talks with the Punjab government.

Now, the automobile giant is said to be again considering Haryana as the site for the unit, which would manufacture 1 lakh cars annually.

Haryana is home to plants set up by several multinational companies like Honda, Suzuki, Denso and Yamaha.

“With big companies keen to invest in the state, we cannot afford another Gurgaon-like clash. It had tarnished the image of the state. We cannot afford more similar clashes,” a senior officer said.

Sources said that after the Gurgaon clash, industry captains had asked the state government to put a cap on labour union activities.

Now, the Haryana government has decided to set up special intelligence cells to monitor the labour unions.

“Initially, we will be setting up the cells in five districts. Each cell will provide information on a day-to-day basis on unrest in any industrial establishment in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Panipat, Jhajjar and Rewari,” the officer said.

The cells will be set up in towns that fall in the national capital region (covering approximately 100 km around New Delhi) following a sudden spurt in the activity of labour unions.

The All India Trade Union Congress, Hind Mazdoor Sabha and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions are active in the region.

There is information that state labour minister Birender Singh held a meeting with senior police officers last month and sought better intelligence inputs and monitoring of the unions.

Singh has sought accurate and timely inputs on the unions from the intelligence wing to ensure that disagreements do not spill onto the streets and create a law and order problem.

Industrial workers of some large units in the state have come out on the streets during the last six months. The feedback from industry, too, has unnerved the government with complaints of growing labour unrest pouring in on a weekly basis.