Violence at Maruti Suzuki Manesar plant continues to simmer

The embers of the violence , which had engulfed the Manesar plant of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) last week, refuse to die. Workers of Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India (HMSI) held their annual protest meeting at their industrial unit on Wednesday-following the imposition of Section 144 at the MSIL plant and adjoining areas-demanding impartial inquiry into July 18, in which one senior Maruti executive was killed.

Observing Workers Solidarity Day, the seventh anniversary of the 2005 'uprising', in which over 150 persons were seriously injured in a clash between the police and agitating workers, the HMSI workers demanded that their MSIL peers must not be "harassed".

The HMSI employees alleged that the Manesar plant violence is the result of simmering discontent among workers due to "mismanagement". Ashok Yadav, president, HMSI Workers Union, said that the union will submit an 11-point memorandum to Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. "Cases against 62 workers who have been charged with 'attempt to murder' should be withdrawn immediately," he added. The union members clarified that none of the workers are against interests of villagers. The HMSI workers were joined by their peers from other firms, including Suzuki Powertrain India Ltd, Rico Auto, Hero MotoCorp, Mark Exhausts and Omax Auto.

"The government is inciting locals to defame trade unions and trying to divert attention from the July 18 violence," said Satbir Singh, president Centre of Indian Trade Unions. Meanwhile, representatives of around 75 villages alleged that trade union leaders incite, provoke and exploit workers in Industrial Model Town (IMT) Maneser for their personal benefits. The grand assembly of 75 villages convened at Dhana village, near Manesar, pledged that followers of a certain political ideology won't be allowed to take the population as hostage and repeat the gruesome violence at any industrial unit.

"The peace of Gurgaon and IMTManesar is being disturbed under a conspiracy. Leaders of various trade unions were by and large responsible for three unrests at the MSIL plant last year," said Rao Abhay Singh, former chairman, Gurgaon Zila Parishad, who also headed the assembly.

MSIL has said that it has run out of stock of the two best selling models , Swift and DZire, which are produced at the Manesar plant, where lockout has been declared.

Courtesy: Mail Today