[Reader-list] Maruti: union statement

[Jeebesh]

How do you treat your animals Mr.Dasgupta? Send them to slaughter houses?

On 21-Jul-2012, at 10:18 AM, Partha Dasgupta wrote:

> 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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Jeebesh Bagchi
www.raqsmediacollective.net