Maruti Suzuki Ritz

NEW DELHI -- Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., India's largest car maker by sales, said Wednesday it will resume production of the A-Star small car and the SX4 hatchback within a week at its factory at Manesar in the northern state of Haryana.

Production of the cars at Manesar was stopped Aug. 29 after Maruti asked 950 regular workers belonging to the unrecognized Maruti Suzuki Employees Union to sign a "good conduct bond" before they could enter the factory. The auto maker said it asked the workers to sign the bond after it discovered "serious and deliberate" quality problems in cars made at the plant.

It also suspended or dismissed 21 employees.

The Suzuki Motor Corp. unit was so far focusing on normalizing production of the Swift hatchback, one of its largest selling models, to cut long waiting period. The company also started producing the Swift at its Gurgaon factory, also in Haryana state, to meet demand.

It is relying on supervisors, engineers and temporary workers to continue production of Swift at Manesar. Maruti also deployed some workers from its Gurgaon factory at Manesar.

"After exceeding the normal production levels for the Swift, the company is planning to start production of the SX4 and A-star models at Manesar plant," Maruti said in a statement.

The company said it hasn't held any fresh talks with the striking workers.

Talks between Maruti's management and the workers had failed late Sunday after the employees stuck to the demand that the company take back their dismissed colleagues, Maruti had said Monday.