Maruti Suzuki Workers Planning a Strike Yet Again

The Manesar clash between workers and officials of Maruti Suzuki have just come to an end, the company has started recovering from the loses it had to bear, and the workers association has announced yet another strike. This time the workers from MSI's Manesar Plant will go on a hunger strike and protest peacefully to compel the management to take back all 548 employees, who were sacked after July violence at the facility.

The workers have formed a new provisional working committee as the Maruti Suzuki Workers' Union (MSWU) is not functioning at the moment, and the new functionaries have sent a notice to the govt of Haryana for a hunger strike at the Gurgaon deputy commissioner office on 7th November and a mass rally on Thursday. The Committee leaders Iman Khan, Ramniwas, Omprakash Jat, Ktar Singh and others are also planning to submit a memorandum to Shiv Charan Lal Sharma- Labour Minister Haryana to take the final decision on the long awaited issue. Workers also demand their colleagues to be freed who were imprisoned after the July riot.

Speaking on the same, Om Prakash, member of the provisional working committee said, "The hunger strike and the proposed rally are (being held) to protest against this decision and also seek remedial measure to reinstate all innocent workers, who are either not involved in any activity or not charged by SIT," Maruti Suzuki India's senior officials haven't yet commented on the issue, however national secretary of ALL Indian Trade Union Congress, DL Sachdev has shown the concern on the issue, he says, "The issue of Manesar has not settled yet. Workers are still looking at an amicable solution with a clear and transparent action on the July violence. Various trade union have extended support to MSWU on their stand as workers were dismissed without any investigation or fair trial," 

Maruti has already replaced a number of original workforce at Manesar. It has also removed the temporary workers that were huge in numbers before the violent protest took place. Besides hiring new workers at the plant, the company has also increased the automation at its plants to reduce over dependence on workers and to promote robotised manufacturing at both its plants.

Another member of the committee, Iman Khan said,"There are a large number of workers who got terminated or were asked to leave just on suspicion. The company has no valid reasons, but purported by the government, many workers were harassed and summarily dismissed. We are protesting to get some remedial action from the Haryana government and Maruti Suzuki to maintain cordial working conditions without hounding workers for past incidents,"

Source: ET