Several trade unions on Wednesday expressed solidarity with contractual workers of Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) Private Limited on the second day of their protest against the dismissal of over 200 workers.
The company, meanwhile, announced to shut “B” and “C” shifts at its Manesar Sector 3 plant from Thursday saying that it was difficult to run all three shifts due to the protest. Shift “C” remained shut on Wednesday as well.
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Centre of Indian Trade Union (Haryana) president Satvir Singh told The Hindu that the Trade Union Council (TUC), a conglomeration of all trade unions in Gurugram and Rewari, had submitted a memorandum to Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Amit Khatri seeking his intervention for an amicable solution.
The memorandum warned that the situation could escalate and disturb peace in other companies as well.
Besides Mr. Singh, All-India Trade Union Congress Haryana deputy general secretary Anil Panwar; Maruti Udhyog Kamgaar Union general secretary Kuldeep Janghu; and Hind Majdoor Sabha Gurugram secretary V.S. Yadav, were also part of the delegation.
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Extending support to the Honda workers, Bellsonica Auto Component India Employees Union vice-president Ajit Singh said that more than 75,000 workers were rendered jobless in Gurugram industrial area alone on the pretext of economic slowdown. He alleged that it was a conspiracy hatched by big industrialists in collusion with the government to lay-off permanent workers and hire labour at cheaper rates in violation of the labour laws.
Later, the members of the TUC along with several hundreds of workers from different automotive companies, including Maruti Suzuki, Napino, Munjal and Shivam Autos, gathered outside the Manesar plant of Honda to express solidarity with the protesting workers. While around 2,000 contractual workers are on a continuous dharna inside the plant since Tuesday hampering production, the affected workers are holding a simultaneous sit-in outside company premises.
The plant has around 1,800 permanent workers and 2,500 contractual workers.
HMIS Employees’ Union president Suresh Gaur said talks with the management had been inconclusive since the company was not willing to take back the sacked workers.
Deputy Labour Commissioner Ajay Pal said the contractor had offered to settle the legal dues of the dismissed workers or help them secure jobs elsewhere or asked them to wait for the market situation to improve as part of solution, but the workers rejected all the three offers and instead sought compensation over and above their legal dues. “Since the contractual workers don’t have an elected leader, they have been told to discuss among themselves and come up with the mutually agreed compensation amount. The talks would continue on Thursday,” said Mr. Pal.