Workers of automobile companies staged a day-long dharna — Majdoor Pratirodh Dharna — outside mini-secretariat here on Sunday in protest against the large-scale layoffs due to economic slowdown.
The agitating workers also expressed solidarity with the Honda contractual workers holding strike for almost a month against their retrenchment.
Key demands
Holding red flags, the workers sat on a dharna outside the mini-secretriat from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in support of their demands. Their major demands include roll back policies of liberalisation, globalisation and privatisation; abolish all indirect taxes, including Goods and Services Tax; abolish contract system; reduce the pay disparity between management and workers and make education and medical facilities free for all.
Led by Bellsonica Auto Components India Employees Union, the protest saw the participation of various unions, including Maruti Suzuki Kamgaar Union, BHEL Mazdoor Trade Union, All-India Trade Union Congress and Theka Majdoor Kalyan Samiti, among others.
The organisations working for domestic and garments sector workers such as Mahila Kamgaar Sangathan and Shramik Kendra also supported the protest.
Anita Yadav of Mahila Kamgaar Sangathan said, “Domestic and garments workers, especially women, are subjected to more exploitation than the automobile workers since they do not have unions to speak on their behalf.”
Jalauddin Ansari of Shramik Kendra said workers across the sectors were affected due to the slowdown.
Maruti Udyog Kamgaar Union general-secretary Kuldeep Janghu addressed the workers and criticised the government for its alleged anti-labour policies.
‘Rights diluted’
Labour rights activist and lawyer Monu Kuhar said the workers rights were being diluted by the current regime in the name of labour reforms and the policies heavily favoured the industrialists. Bellsonica Auto Component India Employees Union vice-president Ajit Singh demanded that the industries making losses due to economic slowdown be nationalised.
