Mumbai, Nov. 13: Ahead of Tata Motors' crucial board meeting on Monday, two unions of the company representing around 16,000 employees have written to the management expressing their support to Ratan Tata in the ongoing spat with ousted Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry.

In a letter to Tata Motors CEO and managing director Guenter Butschek, the Tata Motors Employees Union, Pune, expressed "deep concern" over the rift between Tata Sons and the leadership of Tata Group companies.

"Moreover, the once cordial relations between Tata Motors' Pune plant management and the employees have taken a downward turn since the last 14 months over various negotiable issues," said the letter in an indirect dig at the company's leadership under Mistry.

Faith in decisions

Backing the new leadership of Tata Sons led by interim chairman Ratan Tata, the letter said: "However, during this time of turmoil, we reiterate our complete and dedicated commitment to the decisions taken by Ratan Tata over the change in leadership of Tata Sons Ltd." Last week, Ratan Tata had met the unions of Tata Motors biggest plants.

The workers' union of the Pune plant further said: "We wish to commit our whole-hearted support to Ratan Tata's decisions in the future and greatly respect his leadership."

In a letter to the plant head of Tata Motors' Jamshedpur unit, Telco Workers' Union termed Ratan Tata as "our another great leader" and invoked his saying "if you want to walk fast walk alone but if you want to walk far walk together" to express their support. While recollecting what another "pioneer" JRD Tata said - "to be a leader you have to lead with human affection" - Telco Workers' Union said: "These inspiring sentences (are) always inspiration for us and we always try to follow these footsteps."