The reconciliatory talks between the management of Toyota Kirloskar Motors and the striking Toyota Kirloskar Motors Employees Union with the labour commissioner have reached a dead end, with the management declining to accept the labour commissioner's proposal. The ball is now in the Karnataka government's court.

The labour commissioner has consequently sent a report to the state government that the talks could not be taken forward and has asked the government to intervene.

The labour commissioner had, on January 12, proposed a three-point action plan to end the impasse - lifting the lockout, calling off the strike and keeping the dismissal orders in abeyance. The management had earlier asked for more time to mull over the proposals.

In a reply to the labour commissioner's proposal, the management has now said the dismissals are after "thorough legal process following the principle of natural justice. There is no question of keeping the dismissals in abeyance as demanded by the union."

The company management also communicated its inability to lift the lockout in the "existing circumstances of violence where non-striking workmen and their families are threatened following the mass-scale violence and threat to blow up the LPG tanks last weekend."

It said, "The atmosphere is still grave and tense, and there is no safety for non-striking employees and the company's properties."

R Ravi, general secretary, TKMEU, said, "Now the state government should intervene. We do not want violence and so to avoid violence, the government should intervene."