Several thousands workers of automotive companies across the industrial belt from Gurugram to Bawal boycotted lunch on Tuesday expressing solidarity with the Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) Limited contractual workers, staging protest against their retrenchment for more than a month.
Responding to the call for the lunch boycott by Trade Union Council, a joint council of all trade unions in Gurugram and Rewari, the workers of all three plants of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, HMSI, Bellsonica Auto Component India Private Limited, Satyam Auto Components Limited, Munjal Showa Limited, Napino Auto and Electronics Limited, Hilex India Private Limited and Reco Auto Industries Limited took part in the protest, among others.
All-India Trade Union Congress Haryana deputy general-secretary Anil Pawar said the agitating workers of HMSI, holding a sit-in for 43 days, had twice held a protest march, organised a rally, made a 12-km-long human chain and handed over memorandums of their of demands to the district administration on all these occasions, but there were no effort from the government to find a solution causing resentment among them. He said the workers would be forced to take a bigger action if the matter was not resolved.
‘Do or die battle’
Centre of Indian Trade Unions Haryana vice-president Satvir Singh said they were holding their ground despite the biting cold and were ready for a “do or die” battle. He said a delegation had met Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala a month ago, but there were no effort on the part of the government despite an assurance.
He criticised the police action on Jamia Millia Islamia students in Delhi during their protest against the Citizenship Act on Sunday.
A TUC delegation will call upon Gurugram Divisional Commissioner Ashok Sangwan on Wednesday in this connection.
