Report of the correspondent of Mazdoor Ekta Committee
The contract workers of Gurgaon’s IMT Manesar-based Proterial (Hitachi) India Limited had started the strike inside the company premises on 30th June 2023 in support of their demands. This strike has turned into a hunger strike since 6th July 2023.
Around 200 workers of ‘A’ General and ‘B’ shift are sitting on strike inside the company premises. The ‘C’ shift workers are sitting on a dharna outside the company gate.
The agitating workers have demanded that workers who have completed more than 240 days of work should be made permanent. Their demands include a 15 percent annual pay hike and company leave policies to be implemented, working conditions to be improved, etc. Their demands are pending with the company management since the last one year. The Labor Department of Haryana has not offered any resolution to these issues.
The strike began on 30th June when the shifts of three contract workers were arbitrarily changed. Earlier in May, around 40 contract workers, including three union leaders, who had been supporting the workers’ demands for the last one-and-a-half years, were terminated by the management on charges of ‘hindering production and disciplinary issues’. In addition to the demands made in the current strike, the demand for reinstatement of the suspended employees is also included.
The workers sitting on dharna outside the company began sending food to the workers sitting on dharna inside the company premises, but the company obstructed this. Sometimes the company allowed only dry food i.e. packed food to be taken inside and at times refused to allow bananas to be taken inside. The food shipped in was not made available to the striking workers in time. Distressed by this, the workers decided to go on hunger strike.
Besides this, the company management has switched off the ceiling fans at the protest site to harass the workers. Having to sit in the scorching heat, the health of the workers on strike inside the company has deteriorated. Two workers have had to be admitted to the hospital. The company management, the labor department and the police, together, are pressurizing the striking workers to vacate the company premises.
Proterial India, was formerly known as Hitachi Metals. It is a multinational company headed by Japanese capitalists. This Company is located at plot no: 94-95 in IMT Manesar. The company deals in information technology, electronics, power systems, social infrastructure and industrial equipment. The company’s Manesar plant is involved in manufacturing components for electronic products.
A total of 46 permanent and 270 contract laborers work in the company. Production has come to a complete standstill as all the temporary workers have joined the strike. Permanent workers are not involved in this strike. The union alleges that the management has hired around 25 new temporary workers to maintain production. The union has strongly opposed this move.
The union said that the company has maintained workers on contract even when they have worked at the company for three to seven years. Workers are paid very low salaries – Rs.12000 – Rs.13000 per month. These workers carry out skilled, and even highly skilled work in production, but they are paid the same wages as support workers. Equal pay for equal work is not applicable here.
The union has expressed its resolve to continue the struggle till the demands are met.
The Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra has supported the just struggle of the Proterial (Hitachi) Labor Union. Along with this, other unions of Gurgaon Manesar including Bolsonika Union have also come forward in support.
Mazdoor Ekta Committee fully supports the struggle of Proterial (Hitachi) trade union.