The management of Cummins India [Get Quote] on Monday expressed concern over the safety and security of the employees working at its Pune plant, while reacting to the two-month long agitation by Shiv Sena over the dismissal of six workers by the company.

The management clarified that it had followed legal procedures to dismiss the six workers on disciplinary grounds and asked these workers to challenge the company decision in the industrial court.

The local Shiv Sena unit has been holding protests outside the company's Pune plant for more than two months over the dismissal of the workers and allegations of the company not giving preference to the locals in recruitment. "On December 30, 2008, Shiv Sena workers staged an agitation outside the company premises to prevent staffers entering the company. This was done despite a court order over not holding any activity around the company. All this led to production cut on this particular day," said Cummins India vice-president Vikram Jaisinghani.

"Cummins India suspended these six workers on disciplinary ground two years ago. After that, the company conducted an independent enquiry in which, the workers were found guilty. Hence, we dismissed these six workers in January 2008. Instead of approaching the industrial court, these workers have joined Shiv Sena, who in turn are creating problems for us," Jaisinghani added.

Shiv Sena had also raised the issue of "Sons of Soil" and alleged that Cummins India did not recruit Maharashtrians. The company management, however, dismissed this claim and said the plants in Maharashtra recruit more than 90 per cent. "We have approached the police as our senior management professionals are receiving threats from Shiv Sena leaders," Jaisinghani claimed.