At Maruti, bouncers attacked workers

 

Following the incident, the Gurgaon Police arrested 88 workers in relation to the violent incident at Maruti Suzuki India\’s Manesar plant. "So far 88 workers have been arrested," DCP Maheshwar Dayal told reporters.

 

He further said a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Ravinder Tomar with six inspectors to probe the incident. In order to maintain law and order at the plant, 1,200 policemen have been deployed in and around the area, he added.

 

"One person died of burn injuries in the incident," Gurgaon Police Commissioner K K Sindhu told PTI.

 

 

In a statement, the company said the violence broke out in the evening when a worker beat up a supervisor on the shop floor. "Workers at the plant today turned violent, attacking and injuring executives and managers in the office premises. At least 40 managers and executives are injured, and have been rushed to hospital. The attackers also set fire to property and damaged facilities," Maruti said. 

 

"The sequence of events began in the morning with a worker beating up a supervisor on the shop floor. The workers\’ union prevented the management from taking disciplinary action against the worker," the company said.

 

As part of their protest, the workers prevented executives and managers from leaving the factory after working hours. They blocked the exit gates and held the executives hostage, it said.

 

Maruti said to resolve the issue amicably, members of the senior management met the union. During the talks, the workers attacked the members of the senior management, executives and managers, it alleged.

 

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said stern action will be taken against those found guilty in the Maruti\’s Manesar Plant dispute. Hooda said DGP Dalal had already rushed to Gurgaon to ensure that law and order is maintained at all cost.

 

So, as always the workers are blamed for all damages and misconducts. But please don’t ignore what workers have to say about the incident. Here is the statement issued by them.

 

 

The Maruti Suzuki Workers Union (MSWU) is anguished at the recent developments in Maruti Suzuki plant, IMT Manesar where the management has resorted to anti-worker and anti-Union activities in a pre-planned manner leading to the closure of the factory yesterday.

 

We have had a long tough struggle with the strong unity of our permanent and contract workers to establish and register our Union last year, and had recently as of April 2012 submitted our Charter of Demands to the management of Maruti Suzuki, and the process of negotiation for wages and other demands was underway. However the management has done its utmost to derail the process and break the back of the spirit of unity of the workers and the legitimacy of the Union.

 

As part of this vindictive attitude and in a pre-planned manner, yesterday, the afternoon of 18th July, a supervisor in the shop floor abused and made casteist comments against a dalit worker of the permanent category, which was legitimately protested by the worker. Instead of taking action against the said supervisor, the management immediately suspended the worker concerned without any investigation as was demanded by the workers. When the workers along with Union representatives went to meet the HR to demand against the supervisor and revoke the unjust suspension of the worker, the HR officials flatly refused to hear our arguments, and it was in no mood to resolve the issue amicably.

 

When the negotiation was going on with the leaders of the Union inside the office, the management called in the entry of hundreds of bouncers on its payroll to attack the workers. This is completely an illegal vindictive action in the spirit of conspiracy to corner us into submission even as our demands and methods are legitimate. The gates were closed by the security on behest of the management and the bouncers brutally attacked the workers with sharp weapons and arms.

 

They, joined by some of the managerial staff and police later, beat up a number of workers who have had to be hospitalised with serious injuries. The bouncers, who are anti-social elements on hire, also destroyed company property and set fire to a portion of the factory. The gates were later opened to oust the workers and enforce a lockout by the company.

 

We have the workers and the company\’s welfare in mind and have worked towards it after the resolution of the dispute last year, and to blame the current violence on us is unjust. We are still keen to dialogue with the company and want to sit with the company management and the government labour department to amicably resolve the matter and restore industrial peace in the factory.