The strike by workers at the Hyundai Motor India Ltd facility near Chennai continued for the second day Tuesday.

The workers went on strike following the reinstatement of 67 fired fellow workers and recognition of their union.

Hyundai Motor India Employees Union (HMIEU) president A. Edison Periera stated, "Our members are continuing their sit-in strike since Sunday midnight. Many of them have not taken food since Sunday night. One worker fainted Monday and was taken to the hospital. The management has declared leave for the first shift today (Tuesday).”

Periera added that a conciliation meet will take place today before the labour commissioner.

The production stoppage Monday at India's second biggest car maker's Irrungattukottai plant resulted in a loss of 2,200 cars valued at around Rs 65 crore.

"The management started flexing its muscle by suspending four more workers and that was one of the reasons for us going on strike," K. Thangapandian, vice president, HMIEU said.

Hyundai Motor India's Managing Director and Chief Executive H.W. Park during May 2010 ruled out reinstating the fired workers.

He also said that the administration was yet to confer the status of "public utility" on the company as agreed at the time of setting up the plant a decade ago.

According to Thangapandian, the union was about to go on strike in January when the South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, a former Hyundai Motor employee, was on a state visit, but deferred it as the management then promised to consider their demands.

The company said that the strike has come at a wrong time as its two facilities were closed in May for maintenance May 24-June 3 and production resumed June 4.

The factory has around 1,650 permanent workers, 2,000 casual labourers, 1,500 apprentices, 1,000 Hyundai trade apprentices and 1,200 technical trainees.

The current strike at the Irrungattukottai plant is in violation of the orders of the district munsif-cum-judicial magistrate, Sriperumbedur, which prohibits any unlawful activity within the factory and within 100 metres radius of the factory premises, the company said.

Last month, the company officials settled the claims of two fired workers and said that the process is on in settling the accounts of 20 more.

The company alleged that the HMIEU was preventing the workers from signing the direct settlement. (With Inputs from Agencies)