[Reader-list] Maruti: union statement

Sharan Lal sharanlal at gmail.com
Sat Jul 21 13:48:34 IST 2012 

Anupam,

Cant ban all armies and policing from the face of the earth. Violence by
them is sometimes justified by law, and laws are created by us.

So it is rather simplistic to say not to resort to violence by anyone and
of any sort 'whatever' the cause.

There ARE times when violence is justified, and I say this without taking
sides. It is easy to resort to platitudes TILL you too are pushed to the
brink and resort to violence, sometimes within the legal framework,
sometimes outside it. But both are necessary to the person(s) resorting to
it, hypothetically speaking. A lot depends on what brief and beliefs you
carry in your pocket and in your heart at the given moment.

The question then becomes which violence is 'right' and justified, which is
not. The violence that is 'justified' is defined by the democratic process.
If you believe in democracy and enjoy the fruits of it (along with brick
bats) then you have to sometimes put your personal views aside, and follow
the majority view.

If you do not agree with the majority view, then you have Five options:

1. Join the democratic process and change the majority view if you can.

2. Oppose majority view within the tenets of the law set in place by the
majority view.

3.  Resort to ways and means other than those defined in the law. This
third option comes with a rider - be prepared for being dealt with the law
set by the majority to deal with persons resorting to the third option.

4. Go underground and wage a war against the establishment, and be on the
run (or, conversly, become strong enough to run the establishment over, as
has happened so many times in history all over the world) That is something
that boils down to the individual. Each one of us is different in different
situations. But even to defeat the establishment one needs to win over
people. Because the establishment IS majority, and unless you are Superman
(or the more topical Batman), you cannot take on more than a couple of
people at a time at the most, and you will not stand a chance when you do
not have access to better equipment and pyrotechnics like drones etc. at
your disposal. And if you stay rooteed to the ground and resort to spurts
of violence, you will, finally, be hunted down like a rat and put to sleep,
whether you like it or not.

5. Be a passive bystander and try to contribute to your society(?) in ways
other than those that bring you in direct confrontation with the
establishment or for that matter with those opposing the establishment.

None of the options are any easier than the other, and only in a democracy
does one get five options. In any other form of governance, they become
lesser and lesser.

But the the fact that we have options is worth putting hard work into any
of the five options one chooses as one's calling.

Good luck,

Sharan





On 21 July 2012 12:12, Samvit <samvitr at gmail.com> wrote:

> Yes but they do teach us that "violence does not justify the end" at
> elementary school. Whatever it was, violence of any sort and by anyone
> cannot justified.
>
> On Sat, Jul 21, 2012 at 12:04 PM, anupam chakravartty
> <c.anupam at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Unfortunate, but i think one needs to ask why did the strike start in the
> > first place after months of no activity? was the management covertly
> doing
> > something more sinister which lead to an outcome like this?
> >
> > Condemn the action of workers but have you asked about what labour laws
> we
> > have been following?  i dont think it is absence of organized unions in
> > India but most of these workers support at least 10 other people in their
> > families.
> >
> > Have you ever wondered how a factory unit owner sees the factory
> workers? or
> > Human Resource Department looks the people who employed in a particular
> > place?
> >
> > Do you mourn like you do when quarry workers die of silicosis?
> >
> > do you mourn the loss of jobs for lakhs of textile workers in ahmedabad
> and
> > surat in the last 30 years?
> >
> > What happens to the numerous labour welfare programmes run by state?
> >
> > Do you think workers in any factory/industrial unit should be organised?
> >
> > What sort of press release should be written? Just, unbiased? Then, the
> > press release from the company (which does not arrive in Sarai list but
> goes
> > straight to the edit meeting of a newspaper) should also talk about the
> > conditions in which maruti or any other plant workers perform their
> tasks.
> > the press release should give the details of number of times notices have
> > been served to these companies for flouting labour laws. or do we have
> > seperate ways to analyse a press note from a labour union and a corporate
> > outfit?
> >
> > reports say that labour department and the district administration have
> been
> > asked to maintain cordial relations between workers and the company. then
> > haryana district admn is saying that scuffle between the supervisor and
> the
> > workers is not "a labour issue". the same report by the prominent
> newspaper
> > describes the incident between the worker and the supervisor as
> > "disciplinary".
> >
> > have you ever wondered why we are not taught about minimum wages when
> are in
> > elementary school?
> >
> > On Sat, Jul 21, 2012 at 11:23 AM, Samvit <samvitr at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> This press release doesn't talk about what the workers did to the
> >> management. They killed a HR manager and brutally assaulted VPs, GMs
> >> and a lot of other people. I think the plant should just move out of
> >> Haryana.
> >>
> >> On Sat, Jul 21, 2012 at 10:18 AM, Partha Dasgupta <parthaekka at gmail.com
> >
> >> 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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