DHAKA: Japan’s Toyota said on Tuesday it has hired 1,000 contract workers to help restart production, after its employees refused to return to work following an end to a eight-day company lockout.

The Toyota workers and its management at two plants near the southern high-tech city of Bangalore are at loggerheads over pay issues, which they have been negotiating for 10 months.

The employees refused to resume work after the company lifted an eight-day lockout on Monday.

‘As regular employees did not resume duties .... we’re using services of 1,000 contract labour to restart production,’ a company executive, who asked to remain anonymous, said, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1400 HRS, MAR 25, 2014