Report by a correspondent of Mazdoor Ekta Committee
On 30 September, 2024, a dharna was organized at the tehsil of IMT Manesar, Haryana, under the leadership of Maruti Suzuki Struggle Committee, demanding the reinstatement of dismissed workers.
Apart from the sacked workers and their families, various trade unions and workers’ organisations participated in this dharna. These included – Mazdoor Ekta Committee, Krantikari Mazdoor Morcha (Faridabad), NTUI, IFTU Sarvahara, TUCI, Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra, Shramik Sangram Committee, Mazdoor Sahayog Kendra, Belsonika Union, The Collective, etc.
The main demands of the protestors were written on a huge banner put up at the dharna site – “Immediately reinstate 1800 contract workers and 546 permanent workers who were sacked on 18th July 2012 by the conspiracy of the management in an attempt to liquidate their militant union!” “Let us organise to end the contract system and trainee-apprentice based production system in Gurgaon-Manesar-Dharuhera-Bawal region!”
Artists from Progressive Youth Association and Krantikari Naujwan Sabha expressed support and encouragement for the workers with their revolutionary songs.
The meeting was conducted from the stage by Khushiram from Maruti Suzuki Struggle Committee.
While addressing the dharna, the representatives of the struggling workers told everyone about this long struggle that has been going on for the past 12 years.
They said that on 18th July, 2012, Maruti Suzuki management and the government hatched a destructive conspiracy to stop the workers’ march towards victory and to defame the workers in the eyes of the public. As part of this conspiracy, a HR manager died in a fire incident at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant. The Haryana government, without any investigation, filed cases against 655 workers (55 named and 600 others) under serious charges like conspiracy to murder,tortured148 workers under detention and put them in jail. The company dismissed 546 permanent workers without any notice. Apart from this, 1800 contract workers were fired.
Maruti management and the government tried their best to suppress this struggle at any cost so that the workers’ right to form their own organizations and fight against exploitation is defeated and to spread despair among the workers. But despite this suppression, many workers’ unions were formed in the surrounding industrial areas.
After keeping the workers in jail for 5 years, they were honorably acquitted because the company and the government could not produce any evidence against the workers. 12 union officials were sentenced to life imprisonment, but they were released after 10 years.
From 2022, the workers of Maruti Suzuki have again geared up for a struggle demanding that the 1800 contract workers and 546 permanent workers who were fired be re-employed.
Giving details of the exploitation and injustice being done to the workers, the representatives of the struggling workers said that in industrial areas like Gurgaon, Manesar, Dharuhera, Bawal etc., workers are hired on contract and exploited in the name of trainee-apprentice. Workers are made to work as trainee-apprentice for 4-5 years. Later, they are fired with a mere certificate awarded to them. That certificate has no validity, because when the company does not retain the workers on permanent employment, then other companies do not employ them either on permanent basis.
The speakers clearly said that workers cannot expect justice from any political party. Assembly elections are being held in Haryana and all the political parties are coming to us to ask for votes. The speakers reminded the workers that when the Honda and Maruti incidents happened in Manesar, there was a Congress government. The Congress party did nothing to deliver justice to the workers. The families of the affected workers also met the ministers of the BJP government but they too did nothing for the workers. All these political parties of the capitalist class work to increase the profits of the Indian and foreign capitalists. The workers cannot expect justice from them. The political parties of the capitalist class are like horses tied to a horse-carriage, whose reins are in the hands of a single driver. The capitalist class keeps changing horses, but does not let go of the reins. Our country is ruled by the capitalist class. All the institutions of the state – police, parliament, courts, army, and legislature –work to protect the interests of the capitalist class.
Speakers said that as workers we create the wealth of the country and the country runs on the basis of our labour. They called upon the working class of the country to come forward as a political force and itself become the rulers.
At the end of the programme, a memorandum was handed over to the Tehsildar.