Several hundred workers from different automotive companies in and around Gurugram held a day-long hunger strike and demonstration outside the mini-secretariat here on Sunday against the large-scale lay-offs over the past few months, shutting down of companies and the alleged anti-worker policies of the present regime.
Organised by Bellsonica Auto-Component Workers’ Union members, the protest witnessed participation of workers from some of the major automotive companies, including Maruti and Honda, and the representatives of trade unions. The workers protested against the fixed term employment policy, shutting down of seven companies rendering workers unemployed and the pending charter of demands. They also sought the reinstatement of the workers laid-off, release of 13 Maruti workers convicted in July 2012 violence case and expressed solidarity with the five activists arrested last month.
Inklabi Mazdoor Kendra member Shyam Bir said the law protecting the interests of the workers were grossly diluted by the present regime making it easy for the companies to lay them off. He added the introduction of the fixed term employment policy had had a devastating impact and more than 10,000 workers were laid-off in the region with the shutting down of seven companies over the past one year.
‘Shutting down illegal’
“The shutting down is illegal as the companies were not suffering losses. But they had shifted their production elsewhere to lay-off regular workers. Besides, a dozen companies have laid-off several workers for indulging in union related activities,” he said.
Human rights lawyer Monu Kuhar said the charter of demands, which includes demand for wage hike and improving working conditions, by various workers unions in almost a dozen companies in Gurugram was pending before the respective managements for more than a year.
Maruti Udyog Kamgaar Union general-secretary Kuldeep Jhangu said of the 2,500 industrial units in Gurugram only 100-odd had unions making the workers vulnerable to exploitation and the labour department had miserably failed to protect the interest of the workers community. He said that anger was simmering among the workers and it could take the shape of a large movement in the days to come.