[Reader-list] Maruti: union statement

[Partha Dasgupta]

If they behave like animals, they deserve to be treated like animals.

What the workers did can not be condoned, and they deserve to be
punished... severely.
...........................
Partha Dasgupta
+919811047132



On Fri, Jul 20, 2012 at 5:39 PM, Nagraj Adve <nagraj.adve at gmail.com> wrote:

> *PRESS STATEMENT*
>
> *19TH July 2012*
>
> * *
>
>
>
> 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 violence and 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 since long and is trying to break the back of the spirit
> of unity of the workers and the legitimacy of the Union.
>
>
>
> It is due to this, and continuing with this vindictive attitude and in a
> pre-planned manner, yesterday, the afternoon of 18thJuly, 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 from outside the plant to attack the workers, and blocked the exit.
> 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
> and peaceful. The exit 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, which should be properly investigated. 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.
>
>
>
>
>
> Ram Meher
>
> President, Maruti Suzuki Workers Union (MSWU)
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