Maruti Mayhem: One thousand workers sacked

In a move, which will evoke strong labour reactions, Maruti Suzuki India has served termination notices to 500 permanent workers and the company has also decided to remove 500 contract labourers.

 

Maruti Suzuki India chairman RC Bhargava said that the company may sack more workers depending on the investigation into the July violence at the Maruti plant at Manesar.

 

Operations are set to restart at the violence hit plant on August 21 with about 300 workers and the company will start fresh recruitment of permanent workers on September 2.

 

MSI has now created a special force of 100 security guards in addition to the existing one.

 

This will be in addition to the state police, who will continue to provide security to the plant.

 

With the above plans announced by Mauti Suzuki India, many would see the resumption as sign of peace. But, aren’t we ignoring the labour reforms.

 

Almost 3,000 workers are already underground. Police witch-hunt continues, 114 workers have been put in jail. Most workers in jail claim absolute innocence.  They claim that police is acting at the behest of the Maruti Management.

 

And now what is grossly unfair to the workers, 1000 of them have been terminated.

 

The whole incident shows total apathy from the state government, its labor department, civil as well as police administration towards worker’s cause. 

 

The trade unions do not want innocent workers to suffer and have demanded judicial probe into the incident which can bring out the truth.

 

They assert that it’s unfair to blame the workers for the July 18 violence.  The violence took place after 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.

 

Later, at behest of the management and the bouncers brutally attacked the workers with sharp weapons and arms. They were joined by some of the managerial staff and police. It was then the workers retaliated.

 

Various groups-  Inqlabi Mazdoor Kendra, ICTU, Correspondence, Krantikari Lokadhikar Sangathan, Krantikari Naujawan Sabha, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, Mehnatkash Mazdoor Morcha, Mazdoor Ekta Committee, Shramik Sangram Committee, s, People’s Union for Democratic Rights, People’s Front, Peoples’ Democratic Front of India, Pragatisheel Mehnatkash Mazdoor Morcha, Pragatisheel Mahila Ekta Kendra,  Radical Notes,  Students For Resistance,  Sanhati-Delhi, Jati Unmulan Andolan, Shramik Duniya, Vidyarthi Yuvjan Sabha, Workers Unity Trade Union, have extended full support to the workers.

 

 The company is set to start the operations at the Manesar plant but the workers are facing tough time due to highhanded approach of Maruti management, who is in clear connivance with state government and its labour department and they are entirely responsible for the prevailing industrial relations in the Manesar unit.