22 September - National Day of Action in Solidarity with workers at Maruti Suzuki India Limited

The New Trade Union Initiative strongly condemns Maruti-Suzuki management’s illegal, unjustified and unwarranted lockout imposed at its Manesar plant since 29 August 2011 after insisting that its workers sign a “good conduct bond” as a condition to enter the plant. Both these actions amount to gross unfair labour practices and the imposition of the “good conduct bond” by employers has been held to be an act of “force” and “coercion” by the courts. The NTUI also condemns Maruti-Suzuki management’s continuing violation of the laws of the land and failure to uphold the Indian Constitution which guarantees the right to association including forming and joining a trade union.

Condemn misuse of police power to browbeat workers into submission

The New Trade Union Initiative strongly condemns the misuse of police power to illegally detain on 17 September 2011 Suresh Gaur, President of Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India Ltd. Employees Union and member of the AITUC Haryana State Executive Committee and subsequently implicate him in a false case as a means to coerce the national trade union centre to withdraw its support to the struggle of the Maruti Suzuki workers. On 18 September 2011 as tripartite negotiations drew to a close without any resolution, police swept into the negotiation room at the HUDA Gymkhana Club and arrested three office bearers of the Maruti Suzuki Employees Union, Sonu Gujjar (President), Shiv Kumar (General Secretary) and Ravinder (Organising Secretary) who were then taken to the Manesar Police Station under fabricated criminal charges. We condemn the repeated use of police power at the behest of Maruti Suzuki management to intimidate, coerce and browbeat workers into submission.

Deliberate inaction by Government of Haryana

The New Trade Union Initiative condemns the complicity of the Government of Haryana in providing Maruti-Suzuki vast numbers of police personnel when no cause of action had occurred at the Manesar plant and there was no report of any violence what so ever. The NTUI also condemns the Government of Haryana for failing to take cognisance of the “industrial dispute” and using its legal and persuasive powers to bring about an amicable settlement which incorporates the core principles of Freedom of Association and elimination of Unfair Labour Practices. Despite such extensive industrial action the Government of Haryana has violated the spirit of Section 10 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 by failing to adjudicate the dispute that so visibly exists, and bring a resolution at the end of three weeks into the dispute. Little can hide the fact that the Government of Haryana
is acting at the behest of the Maruti Suzuki management in allowing it to blatantly violate laws that govern the rights of workers.

Workers Unity in face of victimisation and harassment

The New Trade Union Initiative salutes the extraordinary courage despite threats of victimisation and police harassment – shown by the workers and their unions at Suzuki Powertrain India Limited., Suzuki Castings Limited and Suzuki Motorcylces India Limited who extended their solidarity to the Manesar plant workers and struck work and forced the Maruti Suzuki management to come to the negotiating table with the office bearers of the Maruti Suzuki Employees Union, a union the Maruti Suzuki management has refused to recognise as the democratically chosen representative of the workers of the Maruti-Suzuki Manesar plant. The NTUI also commends the workers and unions of all the four Suzuki companies for demanding regularisation of the contract and temporary workmen who toil side by side with them under insecure and dismal work conditions and low pay.

On this day of national action in solidarity with the workers of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, the NTUI demands that:

The management of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. –

  1. Immediately lift the illegal lockout at the Manesar Plant and withdraw its undemocratic demand for a ‘good conduct bond’
  2. Immediately and unconditionally reinstate all workers who have been suspended or dismissed without following due process of law
  3. Withdraw all false criminal charges filed against workers with the Haryana Police
  4. Regularise all casual and temporary workers employed continuously for more than two years
  5. Stop the employment of apprentices in violation of the Apprentices Act
  6. Respect the Right to Association and recognise the democratically elected Maruti Suzuki Employees Union .

The Haryana Labour Department –

  1. Immediately declare the lockout at the Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.‘s Manesar Plant to be illegal under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
  2. Initiate prosecution proceedings against management of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. for indulging in unfair labour practices under Section 25 (t) and (u) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
  3. Immediately register the Maruti Suzuki Employees Union
  4. Ensure that laws governing industrial workers are implemented by the Maruti Suzuki management and all violations are prosecuted immediately
  5. Carry out their duties in exercise of the powers delegated to them the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.