A protest was held in Delhi on Thursday against the repression on workers of Maruti plant at Manesar. The protesters, including representatives of various groups, students and workers, demanded an impartial probe into the recent riots at the plant.
The protest was organized jointly by representatives of All India Federation of Trade Unions (New), 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,
Here is the press release:
On the recent development in Manesar plant of maruti Suzuki in which 114 workers including 12 union description members has been arrested and against repression on maruti workers, a joint protest demonstration was organized by 20 organizations and pro people intellectual on 9th august 2012.
Protester gathered at UNI building and started their rally towards Shram Bhavan with raising slogan in solidarity with struggling workers and against severe repression on workers. Police forcefully stopped people from protesting at the Shram Shakti Bhawan. Protesters were abused and dragged away from the protest site forcefully, and even beaten up brutally.
Even women comrades were not spared. Finally protesting people are detained forcibly and are in Parliament Police Station now.
The incident of 18th July shows total apathy from the state government, its labor department, civil as well as police administration towards worker’s cause. 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 of Maruti Suzuki India Pvt. Ltd.
The incident of 18th July is one stark example of management manipulation to push the worker in corner. In the afternoon of 18th July, a supervisor in the shop floor abused and made castist comments against a dalit worker of the permanent category, which was 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 worker’s concern. The management’s attitude was quite clear: they were in no mood to resolve the issue amicably. They had another nefarious design in their mind. More than 150 bouncers (private goons on the roll of management) were called from outside the plant to attack the workers. They blocked the ingress and out-gress of the plant with clear motive to attack the unarmed workers.
This is criminal act on part of the management which must be condemned and immediate cognizance of the issue must be taken by those who are responsible for bringing out industrial peace. The move of the management caused fear in the mind of workers and chaos prevailed over efforts of worker’s union to arrive on an amicable settlement.
Organizations feel that the management of Maruti Suzuki India Pvt. Ltd. is entirely responsible for18thJuly incident. Organisers demand that repression against workers should be stop immediately and labor law should be implement properly in all factories and violator should be severely punished as well as only permanent recruitment should be happen for the permanent nature of work. They also demand that:-
- An independent inquiry by reputed agency of India is constituted immediately to inquire into the whole incident including the role of management in 18th July incident.
- Immediately Release all workers and take back to work who have been falsely implicated in this case and witch hunt of workers be stopped immediately.
- Security in-charge of Maruti Suzuki India Pvt. Ltd. be interrogated to get the whereabouts of bouncers involved in the incident of 18th July 2012 and they must be arrested immediately.
- Managerial staff responsible for employing bouncers must be arrested immediately.
- Restore labor laws in Maruti Suzuki India Pvt. Ltd as well as in other industries in Haryana.
- F.I.R. under S.C./S.T. prevention of atrocity act be registered against supervisor who have made castist abuse against worker.