General Motors CEO Mary Barra could face protests from workers at the carmaker’s Gujarat plant when she goes makes an expected visit to India later this month.
The Economic Times reported that factory workers are complaining about poor working conditions and could make their feelings known when Barra attends next week’s Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) annual convention in New Delhi.
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Her attendance on 12 September has yet to be confirmed, however.
Unions in Gujurat are complaining about “occupational health hazards” adding these are a concern at GM facilities globally. Nihil Mehta, secretary of the Indian National Trade Union Congress, representing GM workers at the Halol plant cited the campaign by ASOTRECOL, the Association of Injured Workers and Ex-Workers of General Motors Colmotores, based in Colombia, who claim they were hurt at that GM plant and subsequently fired because they couldn’t do their jobs.
Mehta told ET 269 workers at Halol face health issues arising out of their duties at the plant, adding: “The time is ripe to seek management intervention alongside the international campaign initiated by seeking Barra’s mediation.”
Mehta has written to Barra regarding conditions at Halol and seeking equal pay for equal work for the facility’s 1,600 workers, of whom 800 are permanent. The wage difference between permanent and contract workers is said to be 50%.
GM country vice-president P Balendran rejected the allegation, telling the newspaper: “We provide the best working conditions at our plant and follow global practices as in any other GM plants across the globe. We are above the industry standard and comply with all statutory obligations.”
The ET noted GM’s Indian unit has seen the departure of several executives amid a scandal involving the fudging of emission requirements. GM recalled more than 100,000 Chevrolet Taveras manufactured between 2005 and 2013 to address emission and specification issues.
