India’s Trades Union Congress (AITUC) has added its voice to the chorus of condemnation surrounding last week’s Maruti Suzuki Manesar riot in which one one senior management member was killed.
As well as the fatality, around 90 employees were injured as a fire broke out causing substantial damage to the north India plant, whose management has now imposed a lock-out of the 3,000 or so staff.
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The AITUC – representing 3.6m workers in India – is distancing itself however, from what happened, claiming those acting were not affiliated to an official trade union and condemning the actions as those of a mob.
“There is a a lot of tension – whatever the workers have done is not good – they have acted like a mob,” AITUC general secretary, Darshan Sachdev, told just-auto from Delhi. “We have already condemned the violence because we feel by violent means, you can’t resolve your demands.
“I consider it a sad day for the trade union movement of India where the workers have behaved in such a way. About 100 workers have been arrested and police are looking for another 40-50, who have gone underground.”
Reports indicated a newly-formed Maruti Suzuki Workers’ Union was in the Manesar plant, but it is unclear what role they played and although senior management appear to suggest they started the fire that led to such fatal consequences, there is no firm evidence of that yet.
Manesar has been plagued by enormous industrial unrest in recent times, but this escalation has taken the stand-off between staff and management to new heights of tension, even perhaps to not discussing the issue with legitimate bodies such as the AITUC.
“Management of course, does not want to talk to any outsiders,” said Sachdev. “They consider us as outsiders as union people.”
A further consequence of the riot has seen all 3,000 Manesar workers stay at home as a result of the lock-out with no pay. “There is no question of payment to the workers,” said Sachdev, adding: “The contract workers are the most suffering.
“Naturally, no worker is paid. That all depends on whether the government refers this action to the industrial tribunal to see whether this lock-out by management is proper and legal.
“We don’t [have much] hope the government will refer this case for adjudication.”
