On 18th July 2012, auto factory workers in Maruti's Manesar plant attacked supervisors and started a fire that killed a company official and injured 100 managers, including two Japanese expatriates. The attack was allegedly influenced by:i. A caste slur (later discredited) by a supervisor against a workerii. Failed negotiations about employee regularization

1. Perfect Relations
The Science of Image Management
The Maruti Manesar Crisis:
A Communications Approach

2. Background
On 18th July 2012, auto factory workers in Maruti's Manesar plant attacked
supervisors and started a fire that killed a company official and injured 100
managers, including two Japanese expatriates.
The attack was allegedly influenced by:
i. A caste slur (later discredited) by a supervisor against a worker
ii. Failed negotiations about employee regularization
The company has faced several incidents of employee protest, but never of
such scale and violence.
The incident is the worst-ever for Suzuki since the company began
operations in India in 1983.

3. The event has had the following
repercussions:
Bad Indian and international press for Maruti
created by reportage of:
•Damage to the Manesar plant
•Maruti’s alleged unethical practices
•Damage to Maruti’s profits

4. What Maruti Did
Demands included:
five-fold increase in basic salary
a monthly conveyance allowance of Rs.10,000 has not been proactive.
The PR by Maruti
a laundry allowance of Rs. 3,000 it has been reactionary.
Instead,
a gift with every new car launch
a house forthe the extortionate demands/cheaper home
Covering every worker who wants one levied upon
Address the new mob violence
Maruti management, including 1 lakh rupee monthly salary.
loans. perception of Manesar plant
75 days of leave Provide interviews to show that
Maruti Manesar was a planned
conspiracy, and not a spontaneous
attack that can suddenly happen
again
Legal action on accused:
show that proactive Management also as
action is being taken victims: to generate
against any violations of sympathy and give a human
law. face to the violence
Personal apology from Maruti MD: to show a
human touch to corporate management

5. What Maruti Could have Done
Diverting
Attention: Position Video: A Day in Rebuild Maruti’s
the Haryana’s the Life Of a India-Connect
Identify a credible Mentions of
Government Maruti Worker spokesperson increasingly
Inaction on Labour Due to conflicting Unlike previous Maruti Japanese Maruti CSR
Laws reported versions of leaders (R.C. Bhargava, J. management at campaign
labour conditions at Khattar), who were also Maruti was raised A Maruti grassroots
Demonstrate that the
Maruti, Maruti industry leaders, a during reportage. A CSR campaign that
work policies at Maruti
should authorize a lacking credible campaign to undertakes
Manesar were in
video documentary spokesperson cannot associate Maruti’s fundraising for
accordance with state
on improved work build media gravitas. traditional image education and
labour policies, and
conditions at the Possible option for with India will foster healthcare of labour
further, that this is a
plant. spokesperson: unity amongst families, to prevent
volatile situation that
Indian industry needs to SIAM President Mr. S. employees further grassroots
address. Sandilya, support for planned
Condemned the attack, violence or mutiny
Further, addressing the stating that it tainted
lack of an adequate India’s image as a
number of police manufacturing base, as
personnel to manage an investment
such crises destination