Maruti Suzuki Workers' Protest Continues
By Maruti Suzuki Workers Union
22 December, 2013
Countercurrents.org
To renew our demand for the release of the 148 arrested workers who are in jail for more than 17 months without bail, to press the reinstatement of illegally terminated 2300 workers, we sat on a day-long mass hunger strike in front of the Gurgaon DC Office and District Court. The dharna organized by Maruti Suzuki Workers Union, Manesar saw hundreds of terminated workers and families of arrested workers sit on hunger strike from 12noon of 20th December till the afternoon of 21st December.
On 17th December 2013, after a year in jail, Com. Iman Khan has been released on bail, given the complete lack of evidence except a statement written under police torture. He was only arrested as he was a leading member of the Provisional Working Committee, MSWU which is leading the Maruti workers struggle. But 148 workers still continue to languish in jail without bail. We demand the immediate release of all arrested workers. We will continue to wage our struggle against exploitation by the company and state repression which justifies it.
We were joined these two days in our dharna and mass hunger-strike by workers and trade unions from across Gurgaon-Manesar which attest to the fact that our struggle is a living struggle which connects to similar regime of exploitation and repression that is going on in the entire industrial belt. We were enthused by the participation of workers and union representatives from Suzuki Motorcycle Employees Union, Suzuki Powertrain India Employees Union, Maruti Udyog Kamgar Union, RICO Employees Union Dharuhera, FCC Rico Employees Union, Honda Employees Union, Haryana Roadways Workers Union, Subros Employees Union, Munjal Kiriu Employees Union, Omax Auto Employees Union Dharuhera, Mitsubishi Electronic Automative Employees Union, Baxter Employees Union, Workers Unions from Hema Engineering, Endurance, Lumax, P.N. Writer, YKK, Nerolac, Perfetti, Senior India, Munjal Showa, Roop Rubber, Indo Autotech, Talbros, Hi-lex, Satyam Auto, Autofit Dharuhera, RDC, Minda Auto, Javarian Auto Workers Union, BM Workers Union, AG Industries Karamchari Union Manesar. WE were also joined by central trade unions, workers and mass organizations like AITUC, CITU, HMS, AIUTUC, Inqlabi Mazdoor Kendra and Krantikari Naujawan Sabha.
We submitted a memorandum of demands to the Gurgaon District administration, and have decided to go on a Padayatra from January 15th to 31st from Kaithal to Delhi and take our struggle across the state of Haryana through Gurgaon to Delhi to renew our struggle for justice and appeal to all to join us.
Provisional Working Committee
Maruti Suzuki Workers Union
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