Unions, left-wing outfits demand release of Maruti workers

BS Reporter  |  New Delhi  May 20, 2013 Last Updated at 12:28 IST

Slam Police lathi-charge on demonstration by families of 147 workers arrested last July for Gurgaon violence

Police action against protesting workers of Maruti Suzuki in Kaithal in Haryana during the weekend has drawn criticism from trade unions and some left wing organisations, who have renewed demands to free the 147 workers arrested in July last year after the violence in the Gurgaon plant.

Police lathi-charged a demonstration of workers’ families outside the residence of Haryana Industry Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala and arrested about 100 workers and their family members from the dharna site at the Kaithal mini secretariat on the night of May 18. Workers had given an ultimatum on may 8 to release all 147 Maruti workers arrested after the July violence. They had threatened to demonstrate outside the house of Surjewala on May 18.

The workers and their family members have been sitting on a dharna at the Mini Secretariat from 28 April demanding release of the 147 workers in Gurgaon Jail and reinstatement of the workers, both permanent and contract, terminated without enquiry following the 18 July incident.

Said a senior trade union leader from All India Trade Union Congress: AITUC has expressed solidarity with the protesting workers.

He said that the unions formed at these factories are not affiliated with any central union and have been supported by various organisations including local political parties.

According to the New Trade Union Initiative a workers organisation that weaves together small groups and unions,  84 Sarpanches from across Haryana had extended their support to the Maruti Suzuki workers struggle at the last demonstration of the workers at Kaithal on 8 May, The Haryana Government has stopped the funds to these Panchayats. Thus it is using both brute force and its fiscal powers to obliterate the struggle of the workers and put down the solidarity and support mobilised by the Sarpanches across the state, NTUI said.

“We continue to stand in solidarity with the struggle of the members of Maruti Suzuki Workers Union and their demand for a fair inquiry, release of the arrested workers and reinstatement of the workers terminated after the 18 July 2012 incident. This struggle against capital and the complicit state is a critical turning point in upholding democratic rights of the working class,” a joint statement by four different organizations supporting Kaithal workers said. These are NTUI, Peoples Union for Democratic Rights, Association for Democratic Rights and People’s Union of Civil Rights.

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Protests against Maruti Suzuki management and Haryana Government’s pro-capitalist stance

• by indialatest+
• May 20, 2013

•  

Check out video of the protests by Maruti Suzuki workers and activists in front of Haryana Bhavan in Delhi on May 18th:

Different organizations including Maruti Suzuki Workers Union, KNS (Krantikari Nawjana Sabha) and Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) have been behind the protests going on for several months against the repressive measures by the Maruti Suzuki Management as well as the Haryana government under Chief Minister Hooda. The Haryana Government has unleashed brutal aggression on the peaceful protesters, who have been demanding the immediate release of all those arrested under false premises, most recently on the night of May 19th, to prevent workers from joining a dharna the next day on May 20th. Despite the arrests to try and intimidate the Maruti Suzuki Workers and activists, the protest in front of Haryana Bhavan went on as planned. But once again the Hooda Government showed its true color by exposing its dirty nexus with the capitalists.

On May 20, when the protesters tried to reach the ministers’ office, they were attacked by policemen who lathicharged the unarmed protesters, injuring several of them, while some were reportedly arrested as well.

Photo Courtesy: Radical Notes

The demands are absolutely legitimate, since it is the legal and ethical right of workers to get organized. But the Maruti Suzuki management has created the trouble by not allowing the workers to form their new union. Instead, with help from the Hooda government, MarutiSuzuki management fired several permanent workers, who are still jobless (thanks to the jobless “growth” under the neo liberal economic onslaught anyway). Many workers  and activists have been threatened by the police and harassed, like arresting them from their homes and that too late at night. This naturally helps because when they nab the protesters individually, they are at their vulnerable most. Therefore, the workers are demanding immediate reinstatement of the fired permanent workers and making all the casual ones permanent with immediate effect. Activists suggest that this movement has been one of the brightest examples of working class unity in recent times, whereby not only casual workers’ rights have come to the fore from permanent workers but also the highly spirited way the workers are protesting from an anti capitalist viewpoint.

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PRESS RELEASE- 147 workers of Maruti Suzuki Union in Kaithal Arrested

MARUTI SUZUKI WORKERS UNION
Reg. No. 1923
IMT Manesar
PRESS RELEASE: 20th May 2013
We are facing one of the most brutal repression by the government on our movement. While we have adopted the democratic and peaceful means available to demand the release of arrested 147 workers, withdrawal of and reinstatement of terminated 546 permanent and 1800 contract workers, the government has only responded with force and malice and in collusion with the Maruti Suzuki company management.
Our peaceful dharna has been going on since 24th March, which included hunger strike, deputations, rallies, which are all in the ambit of our democratic right guaranteed in the Constitution. This was forcibly broken on 18th May by the huge police force of thousands of personnel in riot gear, tear gas etc. They came in before curfew under Sec.144 was declared on the entire town of Kaithal at 5pm with effect till midnight of 19th May to prevent our call for a protest demonstration on 19th May in front of the residence of Haryana Industries and Commerce Minister, Randip Singh Surjewala. Thousands of people from across Haryana and other pro-worker people from across the country were to come to express solidarity.
At 11.30pm on 18th May those on the site of the dharna, 96 workers and activists were arrested and sent to Kaithal Jail under Sections 188, 341, 506, 511. This includes a member of the Provisional Working Committee, MSWU, Yogesh Gawande, and two Trade Union activists who have been coming in support, Shyamveer who is a correspondent of the workers newspaper, Nagrik and an activist with Inqlabi Mazdoor Kendra, and Amit and who is a workers’ movement activist and current Phd student in Economics dept, CESP, JNU, New Delhi. On the morning of 19th May, 4 more workers were arrested from their homes in the villages nearby.
On 19th May 2013, we decided to go ahead with our pre-declared program, and around 1500 people started coming in solidarity from across Haryana in the morning. These included primarily workers and our family members and relatives, and people from village Panchayats, democratic and mass organizations and individuals. A huge police force and CID Haryana personnel were all over the Bus Station, Railway Station and all points in the town to follow and stop anyone who was coming for support. We gathered near Pyoda village 2km from the city limits, and started to peacefully march to register our protest, that all those arrested on 18th May night be released immediately so that talks can happen. Barricades and a huge police contingent of over 2000 personnel with water cannons and tear gas vehicles, stopped us on the road next to Surjewala’s residence.
At 6.30pm, without any warning, the stationed police force started a brutal lathi-charge and tear gas and water cannons were unleashed mercilessly on the protestors, which included in large majority, women, children and old men. Hundreds were seriously injured and admitted to the hospital. The police came with a second round of lathi-charge when people were still in a state of shock. The government has acted with malicious intention, and with a view to crush the struggle while all wanted to do was register our peaceful protest in front of our elected representatives, and yesterday’s actions and arrests shows this.
Eleven workers and activists were arrested on completely fabricated charges of serious nature. These are:
 Ramniwas of Provisional Working Committee, Maruti Suzuki Workers Union
 Deepak Bakshi who is advisor to the MSWU and General Secretary of Hindustan Motors-Sangrami Shramik Karamchari Union, Kolkata
 Somnath who is a correspondent of the workers newspaper, Shramik Shakti
 Suresh Koth, who is panchayat leader from Koth village, Hissar dist, Haryana
 Nitish
 Mangtu
 Premchand
 and three more people, whose names are still unclear.
They have been charged under non-bailable Sections 148, 149, 188, 283, 332, 353, 186, 341, 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC, 3 of P/D, TPDA, 8NH for blocking the highway and 25 (54 and 59) of the Arms Act. They have been
produced in the Kaithal Court today 20th May 2013 and sent to 14days of Judicial Custody.
This is a serious pre-meditated assault on especially those of the active workers and activists who have stood in solidarity with us and to show us again as criminals only because we continue to protest against the wrongs that have been done to us for the last two years since 4th June 2011, and especially since 18th July 2012 when it became apparent that the government is openly siding with the company against workers and activists. This is the reward the government has again given us workers for asking for our rights which are guaranteed in the Constitution.
We appeal to all workers, trade unions and workers organizations, democratic rights and civil rights organizations and mass organizations and democratic minded individuals and to come out in protest in this hour when we need all forms of solidarity. We reiterate our just demands of releasing all the arrested workers and activists and reinstatement of terminated workers.
Provisional Working Committee
Maruti Suzuki Workers Unio n

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#India – Govt paid lawyer Rs 1.44 cr to fight Maruti Suzuki case #WTFnews

BT Online Bureau    Gurgaon   May 16, 2013

File photo of Maruti Suzuki‘s Manesar unit after the violence. PHOTO: AP

The Haryana government paid Rs 1.44 crore as fees to Special public prosecutor K.T.S. Tulsi in the past six months for fighting the case against workers involved in the violence at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar unit last year.

In reply to a Right to Information application, Rajendra Pathak of All India Lawyers’ Union has said Tulsi was appointed by the Haryana government to fight the case against 147 workers prosecuted by the police for their involvement in the violence at the passenger car maker’s plant on July 18 last year. “He has been paid Rs 1,43,96,750”.

SPECIAL: Aroon Purie and Chaitanya Kalbag speak to Osamu Suzuki after Manesar violence

Tulsi was appointed by the state government in August last year. The violence at the Maruti Suzuki unit had claimed the life of a senior company official while about hundred others were left injured.

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Joint Statement – Stop the Police Brutality Against Maruti Suzuki Workers

Joint Press Statement Kaithal

19 May 2013:

 

                   

Stop the Police Brutality Against Maruti Suzuki Workers

The Haryana Government yet again in a brazen and outright cowardly manner has sought to protect the interest of capital and particularly the management of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd by refusing to allow the victimised workers and their families to undertake a peaceful demonstration planned for today which was expected to draw in ten thousand people from across the state.

A short while ago, police lathicharged a peaceful demonstration of workers families outside the residence of State Industry Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala. Scores have been hurt in the lathicharge and the demonstrators are being arrested.

The Haryana Government, on the eve of this peaceful protest at Kaithal, imposed IPC Section 144 in the town and arrested close to 100 workers and their family members from the dharna site at the Kaithal Mini Secretariat at 11:30 pm last night. Several more were picked up from the entry points to the town including the bus terminus this morning. The workers and their family members have been sitting on an entirely peaceful dharna at the Mini Secretariat from 28 April 2013 demanding release of the 147 workers in Gurgaon Jail and reinstatement of the workers, both permanent and contract, terminated without enquiry following the 18 July incident. Despite the heavy police mobilisation and barricades at entry points of the town, thousands of people from across Haryana have been pouring into the city to gherao the State Industries Minister, Randeep Singh Surjewala at his residence. Wives, mothers and sisters of workers are present in large numbers at this demonstration demanding a just inquiry and an end to the state effort at criminalisation of the workers.

Officers at Kaithal Civil Lines Police Station and at the Office of the Superintendent of Police refused to provide copy of the FIR or even provide details about the arrests since last night to us or even to the advocate of the workers and their families. They even refused to mention under what charges the arrests had been made and where the workers and others who were arrested were detained.

There were two other large demonstrations in Kaithal today – one to celebrate Parshuram Jayanti organised by the Brahmin Samaj addressed by the Haryana Industries Minister, Surjewala and another of the Haryana Janhit Congress. So, the imposition of Section 144 IPC was clearly aimed at denying the Maruti Suzuki workers and their families their democratic right to peaceful protest. The large police mobilisation with tear gas and water cannons was only aimed at the Maruti Suzuki workers.

84 Sarpanches from across Haryana had extended their support to the Maruti Suzuki workers struggle at the last demonstration of the workers at Kaithal on 8 May 2013. The Haryana Government has stopped the funds to these Panchayats. Thus it is using both brute force and its fiscal powers to obliterate the struggle of the workers and put down the solidarity and support mobilised by the Sarpanches across the state.  Elected representatives of the people are refusing to talk to citizens in their attempt to protect the interest of capital.

We continue to stand in solidarity with the struggle of the members of Maruti Suzuki Workers Union and their demand for a fair inquiry, release of the arrested workers and reinstatement of the workers terminated after the 18 July 2012 incident. This struggle against capital and the complicit state is a critical turning point in upholding democratic rights of the working class.
We support the demands of the Maruti Suzuki Workers Union:

1. The Haryana Government must immediately stop the assault on the workers of Maruti -Suzuki.

2. The Haryana Government must immediately order an enquiry into the events at Kaithal in the last 24 hours.

3. Government of Haryana should withdraw all charges and release all Maruti Suzuki workers and their family members arrested at Kaithal in the last 24 hours.

4. Government of Haryana should not oppose the bail application of the 147 workers in Gurgaon jail following the 18 July incident.

5.  MSIL must reinstate all permanent workers who were summarily dismissed after the 18 July incident and regularise all contract workers who were on the rolls of the Company on 18 July 2012.

6. MSIL must negotiate in good faith with the MSWU.
Pritpal
Association for Democratic Rights (AFDR), Punjab

Ramesh
People’s Union of Civil Rights (PUCR), Kaithal, Haryana

Kulbir Singh and Ranjana Padhi

Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), Delhi

Gautam Mody

New Trade Union Initiative

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Join GHERAO of Industries Minister residence on 19th May in Kaithal

MARUTI SUZUKI WORKERS UNION

Reg. no. 1923

IMT Manesar

 

Ref. No. …                                                                                                     Date: 18 May 2013

 

We appeal to all workers, workers and peasant organisations, trade unions and democratic forces and individuals to JOIN us in Kaithal at 11am on 19^th May 2013, on our call to GHERAO of the residence of Industries Minister, Haryana, Randip Singh Surjewala.

On 8^th May, the Mahapanchayat in Kaithal, which saw solidarity participation of more than 2000 people from across the state and country, gave a memorandum and an ultimatum to the Government of Haryana of 10 days from that date to heed to the demands of our struggle. 19^th May will be the 57^th day of the continuing dharna from 24 March 2013, throughout which we have only peacefully exercised our democratic right to protest (we were not allowed to even do a dharna in Gurgaon or Manesar). This included an 8-day fast-unto-death which we halted temporarily only after the assurance of the Chief Minister, Bhupiner Hooda that the government will favourably look into the demands and negotiation with the company restarted.

But the government has exposed itself by again paying scant regard to any of our demands. It has instead stepped up coercion on those who have come in our solidarity. The grants to 84 Village Panchayat sarpanch from across Haryana who came out in solidarity on 8th May in Kaithal have been stopped and they have been blacklisted for support to ‘anti-government activities’. Besides this, in an effort to stop our call for demonstration tomorrow, Section 144 has been slapped from 5pm on 18th May to continue till night 12 o’clock on 19th May, and hundreds of police in battle-gear and tear-gas have been posted threateningly next to the site of the dharna.

 

The government and its state administration has become pro-active to this degree to crush our struggle even after 10 months, when we fight for our legitimate demands of release of the jailed 147 workers, stop to police persecution and reinstatement of the terminated 546 permanent and 1800 contract workers. What it fears is the uncomfortable questions we have put before it, from our experience, that the scenario of decent employment is bleak and that the present model of development is essentially anti-worker and anti-people. Even as the government is supposed to represent our interests, what is fears is the unity of permanent and contract workers, the unity of common toiling people who have seen through its naked collusion with exploitative companies at the cost of our livelihood and dignity. And so throughout the phase of our struggle against the exploitation by the Maruti Suzuki company, we have continuously at all instances found the state administration and our elected representatives to bend over backwards to please the company management, and do all it could to repress our voices for justice.

 

JOIN us on 19th May 2013 at Kaithal to raise our voice against the exploitation by the Maruti Suzuki company and the open support that the Government of Haryana lends it, and demand immediate release of all 147 jailed workers, withdrawal of false non-bailable arrest warrants against 66 workers and all other fabricated cases, reinstatement of 546 permanent and 1800 contract workers, independent impartial enquiry into the incident of 18th July 2012.

 

 

Revolutionary Greetings

 

Provisional Working Committee

MARUTI SUZUKI WORKERS UNION

 

—
http://marutisuzukiworkersunion.wordpress.com/

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Haryana Governor- intervene to prevent violence and repression in Kaithal

To

The Governer

Haryana

Dear Sir,

We are deeply disturbed at the news that around 120-50 Maruti Suzuki workers present in the dharna site in Kaithal on 18. 05.2013 night, have been picked up by the Haryana Police around 11.30 pm. It is a matter of extreme anguish in the way the present government of Haryana is allowing the repression of workers struggles and to punish those who are sympathetic to them.

We would like to bring to your notice that Maruti Workers’ Union had announced a Gherao in Kaithal tomorrow at the residence of Industries Minister – the government has responded by clamping down section 144 and has deployed policemen all over the town. This is likely to result in violence as the workers and their supporters are travelling long distances to show their solidarity and unnecessary repression of their planned programme is not going to generate positive feelings.

Already the stand off in Maruti has continued too long because of the unrelenting ways of the police and administration who are keeping hundreds of workers in jail and are ready to make fresh arrests in the murder case by keeping the charge sheet open.

Now the government has spread its tentacles to exclude 93 Gram Sabhas from Government aid because the Sarpanchs expressed solidarity with the union. This impinges directly on the democratic rights of the villagers. They are free to associate as per Indian Constitution.

Such pro-management measures on part of a democratically elected government are not acceptable. It is meant to safeguard the interests of Indian citizens particularly the economically weaker sections and not override all constitutional guarantees in the interest of foreign capital.

Please take urgent measures and ask the Chief Minister to exercise restraint and not crush the Dharna of the union. The need of the hour is for confidence building not further destruction of faith in lawful processes which have suffered a setback in all these months of joblessness and victimization of workers.

We demand immediate stop to any repressive actions on the part of the present government.

Release of all the workers detained and ask the government to set up a non-partisan mechanism to address workers’ grievances

 

issued by feminist group, women against sexual violence, human rights activists, orgtanistaions and individuals

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Maruti Suzuki Workers Union pamphlet on the occasion of May day

April 30, 2013

[Note from Maruti Suzuki Workers Union : We are currently on an indefinite dharna in Kaithal, Haryana since 24 March 2013, which included an 8-day Hunger Strike, and will continue until our demands are met. Please join us, in large numbers on 8th May 2013 in Kaithal (in front of the D.C. Office) for a program and rally to take the struggle forward.]

Make Stronger the Unity of the Workers of Gurgaon–Manesar–Dharuhera-Bawal and the Toiling Masses of Haryana !

On the occasion of May Day, take the pledge to challenge the attack of the Capitalists and the Government which serves their interests !

Friends and Comrades,

Our experiences in struggle since 4th June 2011 provide us with the realization of a renewed importance of May Day and its glorious history. Moulded and tempered in the hearth of the struggle against exploitation and repression, the meaning of this history confronts us with an immediacy and concreteness today.

Exploitation and unceasing exploitation, struggle and repression: what all have we not witnessed during the space of these two years! On the strength of our unity and the solidarity of the workers of the industrial belt of Gurgaon-Manesar, after three phases of strike actions in 2011, we finally formed our Union in March 2012. This expression of our collective strength was unbearable to the management of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Manesar and the state administration, who, to break this unity, as part of the conspiracy of 18th July 2012, declared us to be mindless criminals and terminated the jobs of 546 permanent and around 1800 contract workers. Along with this, 147 of our innocent fellow workers were thrown into jail, who continue to languish there, while non-bailable arrest warrants were thrust on 66 of us. An atmosphere of terror through continuous police repression and administrative intransigence firmly on side of the company management has been hounding us ever since. When we look at the horrible exploitative conditions of work of our fellow workers inside the factory today, the rationale behind the lies and fabrications of the company’s narrative around 18th July 2012 become clear to us. The workers working inside the factory today are bereft of all the rights that we won during the first phase of our struggle. Fewer workers than earlier toil harder than before. When even as much as an inkling of a renewed attempt to raise our voice, to establish our Union inside the factory came, 13 of the more active workers were promptly transferred to various corners of the country, and the attempt crushed there itself. So much for ‘everything’s under control’ in the Maruti’s ‘way of life’!

In this entire chain of events, rather than protect the rights of workers, we’ve found that the Government of Haryana has stood firmly on the side of the labour law-flouting, exploitative and illegal mechanisms of the Maruti company management. These ministers who make thousands of false promises just before the elections, have told us on many occasions that they cannot go against the ‘interest’ of the company. Without any impartial investigation, they declared us to be guilty and convicted. Thousands of policemen were posted to hound and repress our peaceful struggle. In order to ensure that our demands for our democratic rights do not reach the broader working masses of industrial belt in other factories, for the last nine months, the Haryana administration has effectively banned all dharnas and rallies in the Manesar area. They have even arrested some of our comrades for the ‘crime’ of distributing pamphlets with demands of workers! Our legitimate demands are such an eye sore to the Haryana government, that they did not give permission to hold even a dharna in front of the office of the Gurgaon D.C., and even our ongoing dharna in front of residence of Industries Minister, R.S. Surjewala in Kaithal has been sought to be crushed through various mechanisms.

In the light of the challenges that we faced in these last two years, when we remember the legacy of May Day, we feel an iron resolve in our hearts to take the struggle to its logical direction. On 1st May 1886, 80000 workers in Chicago had taken to the streets with the demand of an 8-hour working day, establishing the firm legacy of May Day. After this, the working class movement gained many successes. Even after this long militant history, today we find the larger section of the workers toiling day and night on 12-16 hour shifts under the vise-like grip of the illegal contract worker system. Workers are pitched against each other under the pain of unemployment, and the broad working masses find their lives deteriorating by the day for the profit of a handful of capitalists. To break the vicious cycle of capitalist exploitation, our previous generations have left us a strong legacy of militant struggle. Today when the capitalist regime and the government which is hand-in-glove with it, is making an all-out effort to snatch the gains of this legacy, we have to assume serious responsibility and resolve to protect these gains and take forward the workers movement with its new challenges.

During the space of our struggle, we have witnessed how the owners disregard and actively fight against our legitimate rights, even against the fundamental right to freedom of association and formation of Union to all others. Our movement has had two primary demands – the right to organize and complete abolition of the illegal contract worker system. Both these demands are well within the ambit of our Constitutional rights, but not only the company management, but even the media and the government which stands on the basis of the Constitution has continuously tried to suppress this. After the formation of our Union in March 2012, the Maruti company management flatly refused to even negotiate on our demand of regularizing contract workers in our Charter of Demands. The owners cannot tolerate the unity of permanent and contract workers. While the contract worker system has on the one hand become the principal basis of profit extraction from the cheap, insecure labour for capitalists today, it is at the same time becoming the main reason of the miserable conditions of workers in the country and worldwide. This is the main weapon in the hands of the capitalists to divide the workers movement. We can only face this by generalizing our unity and make our struggle against the segmentation between permanent and contract workers more resolute. We have learnt this lesson from our struggle.

Comrades, May Day is the celebration of the collective power arising from the unity of workers! But this unity is today in a precarious condition and we are faced with many difficulties while confronting this task of rebuilding our unity. The ever-worsening conditions of work and life are being responded to by the eruption of anger and unrest by workers all over the country. Despite the emergence of these mostly spontaneous bursts of anger, we feel that an able and responsible leadership organically linked with these aspirations and with the correct direction, is lacking which can take these agitations to the logical militant direction that they demand. To establish the unity of permanent and contract workers, a lot still requires to be done. While in the last phase we have witnessed the formation of Unions in some factories here and there, there remains a glaring need to form an even stronger unity among workers across various factories. Owing to these problems, even struggles which are militant in their initial phase, face disappointment and are forced to come to a compromise. Today, the Gurgaon-Manesar-Dharuhera-Bawal industrial area is among the main centers of industrial production in the country. The working masses here have had experiences of many big movements in the area. In this scenario, it is important that we imbibe the knowledge gleaned in these struggles and make an uncompromising attempt to seek out solutions to the challenges we face, and also take it forward to the working masses of the entire country. Any exploitation of workers anywhere is an attack on the entire workers movement. To build up a concrete militant unity against this, is our primary aim. We want to place this task before the working class of the entire country today on the occasion of May Day, and pledge ourselves completely to work towards this aim.

Inquilab Zindabad! Mazdoor Ekta Zindabad!

MARUTI SUZUKI WORKERS UNION

Released by the Provisional Working Committee, MSWU, Manesar, Gurgaon

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Chain Fencing work by NPCIL begins at proposed Nuclear plant in Fatehabad, Haryana

Work on fencing starts at region’s first N-plant

Awaiting final environment impact assessment by the expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the Centre, the ambitious Fathebad nuclear plant in Gorakhpur is set to roll.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) — nodal agency for the project — has already started work on chain fencing the property that spans 1,313 acre where the plant will be situated and 187 acres where the residential colony will come up. The EAC, which has already taken stock of the ground level situation at the site, has forwarded certain queries on land compensation award and flooding of the area to the plant officials.

Over 10 senior officials of the plant have shifted their base to the site in Fatehabad. The plant will have two residential colonies — one for its employees and another for Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel.

Once the Ministry of Environment and Forest gives green signal to the project, the project will go to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board for final approval.

T R Arora, Project Director of the plant, said: “We are ready with details to answer the queries. All formalities are now complete. The land is in our possession and is currently being chain-fenced. Once the MoEF clears the project in another two months or so, we will move for final clearance by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. Most probably, will be able to start construction by year end.”

According to the policy, the home state is eligible to get 50 per cent share from the plant. This will majorly help the Haryana government, which is struggling to meet power demand of its consumers. The state that lacks enough own resources of power generation, has to buy power from private players during peak season.

Haryana is also vying to get its share in the plant on the basis of development indicators. If the NPCIL agreed to the demand, then the government will get another 5.6 per cent of power share from the plant. However, the NPCIL authorities are non-committal over the state’s claim on extra share.

Meanwhile, the state has given compensation to farmers whose land has been acquired for the project at the collector rate of Rs 20 lakh per acre besides a solatium at 30 per cent and interest at 12 per cent per annum under section-4 of the Land Acquisition Act-1894. The landowners have also received non-litigation incentive at 20 per cent in addition to the floor rate. The NPCIL had deposited the requisite amount of Rs 460 crore in June 2012 to the state for distribution of compensation.

The first phase (2X700 MW) of the project is expected to be commissioned during 2020. Under the first phase, 2×700 MW units (1,400 MW) are proposed to be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 14,500 crore.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/work-on-fencing-starts-at-region-s-first-nplant/1107370/0

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Haryana – Maruti Workers Union on launch of indefinite dharna ( English and Hindi )

March 26, 2013

We are on an indefinite dharna from 24 March 2013, and will go on an indefinite Hunger Strike from 28 March 2013, in Kaithal, Haryana in front of Kisan Bhavan, residence of State Industries Minister, R.S. Surjewala. Please join in solidarity and circulate this message as widely as possible.

Please check http://marutisuzukiworkersunion.wordpress.com/ for regular updates.

Inquilab Zindabad!-

Provisional Working Committee
MSWU

######

Join in Solidarity with our Struggle for Justice!
Support our indefinite Hunger Strike in Kaithal, Haryana against exploitation by the Company management-Government-Administration-Police machinery!

Workers and friends,

As much as the company-state nexus would like to think of us as having crushed our quest for justice, we the workers of Maruti Suzuki, Manesar are continuing with our struggle. You are aware because we raised our voice against exploiutation that 2300 of our fellow workers have been terminated from our jobs, 147 workers continue to languish in jail and have not been granted bail or even parole since 18th July 2012, and 65 of us still have non-bailable arrest warrant against us. Haryana state police are continuing to harass us and our family members and relatives or any pro-worker person who stands with us. Our struggle has continued in these 9 months trying to forge solidarities among other workers and toiling people. So, MSWU Provisional Working Committee member Iman Khan was picked up on 24th January 2013 and all the false cases from murder to looting and arson have also been thrust upon him, while his name did not figure in any FIR, Chargesheet or SIT report. Chief Minister of Haryana, Bhupinder Singh Hooda threatened us in our meeting with him on 21st February 2013, that we do another rally like we did on 27th January 2013 in Rohtak or continue with our struggle anywhere, he will arrest all of us and put us behind bars.

This is the award that our ‘democratic’ government gives us for questioning its model of development, and what kind and for whom is this ‘development’ that he is talking about? At the promise of this ‘development’ and ‘employment’, the government grabs the lands of poor farmers cheap and hands it over to companies. But the youth do not get any decent employment. The small numbers of us who do get some jobs, are exploited in horrible working conditions and low wage in the factories. When we spoke out against exploitation in work and even after that, we are thrown out of work and hounded and repressed by police and put in jails. When we ask for justice, the police and ministers arrest some more of us and harass us daily. This is how the Haryana government daily works openly for the interests of the capitalists like Suzuki, and against the interests of workers and peasants.

Knowing well that our spirit of struggle for justice is being tried to be extinguished by the corrupt, repressive government-administration which sits on the lap of capitalists, we are taking a pledge to continue and renew our struggle. We will not kneel down before unemployment, hunger and the repression. We will continue this struggle not only for us, but pledge to build and raise a powerful collective voice of workers and toiling people against unemployment, exploitation and repression. Upholding the legacy of Shaheed Bhagat Singh on the 82nd anniversary of his martyrdom day, we are on an indefinite dharna from 24 March 2013 in front of the residence of Haryana Industries Minister, Randip Singh Surjewala and we will go on an indefinite hunger strike from 28th March 2013. We the workers of Maruti Suzuki, with this hunger strike, take a pledge we will struggle continuously, not only for our economic rights but for the rights of all workers, and against inequality and injustice of all kinds in society. That this hunger strike of ours will signal a new unity of workers and toiling people in the country against the exploitation and repression by capitalists and rulers- this is our hope.

Inquilab Zindabad!

Provisional Working Committee

Maruti Suzuki Workers Union

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मारुति मज़दूरों के न्याय की लड़ाई में साथ दो!
कंपनी प्रबंधन-सरकार-प्रशासन व पुलिसतंत्र के दमन के खिलाफ संघर्षरत मज़दूरों का कैथल में चल रहे अनिश्चितकालीन भूख हड़ताल का समर्थन करें !

मज़दूर साथियो व नागरिकों,

जैसे की आपको पता है पिछले 8 महीनों में हम मारुति मज़दूरों को किसी भी प्रकार का न्याय नही मिला। 18 जुलाई 2012 में मारुति सुजुकी की मानेसर प्लांट में कंपनी प्रबंधन ने मज़दूरों की जायज मांगों को कुचलने के लिए प्लांट के अंदर गुंडे बुलवाकर उन्हें पिटवाया, साजिश के तहत आगजनी की गई जिसमे एक प्रबंधक की मौत हो गई जिसका आरोप मज़दूरों के उपर थोप दिया गया । इसी साजिश के तहत 546 स्थाई और 1800 ठेका मज़दूरों को बिना कोई जांच करवाये नौकरी से निकाल दिया गया और 147 मज़दूरों पर झूठे मुकदमे ठोककर जेल भिजवाया, जिसमें से किसी कि अभी तक जमानत भी नही हुई है । जेल में भी मज़दूरों के उपर काफ़ी शारीरिक व मानसिक अत्याचार किया जा रहा है । टी. बी., दमा, चर्मरोग जैसे गंभीर बीमारियों के बाद भी उचित इलाज और राहत नही दी जा रही है । इसके अलावा कंपनी की शह पर प्रशासन ने 65 मज़दूरों के खिलाफ गैरजमानती वारंट भी जारी कर रखा है । हरियाणा के गांवों में इन मज़दूरों के घर-घर पुलिस जा कर परिवारों के लोगों के उपर लगातार अत्याचार कर रही है । कभी किसी के भाई तो कभी किसी का रिश्तेदार को उठाकर थाने में ले जाने का सिलसिला चलाया जा रहा हैं । पिछले 24 जनवरी को प्रोविज़नल वर्किंग कमेटी के सदस्य ईमान खान, जिसका नाम किसी भी एफ. आई. आर में नही था, को पुलिस ने गैरक़ानूनी तरीके से प्रेस-वार्ता से गिरफ्तार करके जेल में डाल दिया । हम पिछले 8 महीनों में न्याय की उम्मीद में सरकार और प्रशासन के हर दरवाजे को खटखटाया, मंत्रियों से मिलें और अंत में हरियाणा के मुख्यमंत्री के पास भी गए, मगर हमे निराश हो कर वापस लौटना पड़ा । हरियाणा राज्य के उद्योग मंत्री रणदीप सिंह सुरजेवाला जी ने बोल दिया कि उनका काम पूंजीपतियों को उद्योग के लिए जमीन दिलवाना है, मज़दूरों को नौकरी वापस दिलवाना नहीं । और मुख्यमंत्री जी ने तो सीधा धमकी दिया, अगर तुमलोग रोहतक में फिर कोई कार्यक्रम करोगे तो सबको जेल में डाल देंगे ।

सरकार इस बात का प्रचार कर रही है की कंपनियों के खिलाफ बोलने से राज्य के विकास पर असर पड़ेगा । मगर क्या राज्य के नागरिकों को यह पूछने का हक नहीं है कि सरकार कैसी विकास और किसके विकास कि बात कर रही है? हरियाणा के किसानों कि जमीन को सस्ते दामों में खरीदकर और यहाँ के गरीब किसानों को बेरोजगार करने के बाद भी यहाँ के लड़कों को काम नही मिल रहा है, और जो भी काम मिल रहे हैं उनमें मज़दूरों की भारी मात्रा में शोषण व दमन हो रही है, जबकि हरियाणा की उसी जमीन से सुजुकी जैसे विदेशी पूंजीपति करोडो का मुनाफा पीट रहे हैं । मज़दूरों-किसानों के निर्मम शोषण पर टिकी हरियाणा सरकार पूंजीपतियों द्वारा मज़दूरों का और ज्यादा खून चूसने के लिए फैलाये जा रहे क्षेत्रवाद का भी समर्थन कर रही है । इसी वजह से पूंजीपति हरियाणा के नौजवानों को रोजगार ना देने की ऐलान कर रहे है ।

जरा सोचिये, आज जब 147 बेकसूर नौजवान 8 महीनों से जेल में बंद है, जब कैथल, जींद, यमुनानगर, रेवारी, करनाल आदि जगहों के गांवों में 500 से ज्यादा परिवार भूख और भीषण आर्थिक संकट का सामना कर रहा है और जेल में बंद दूर-दराज के मज़दूरों के परिजन किराये के अभाव में मिलाई तक नही करने नहीं आ पा रहे हैं और न्याय की प्रतीक्षा में हैं, जब कि सुजुकी कंपनी लगातार धमकी दे रही है कि हरियाणा के नौजवानों को नौकरी में नही लिया जायेगा, तब भी हमारे मुख्यमंत्री जी हरियाणा की पंचायतों तक को मारुति के मसले पर बात उठाने से रोक रहे हैं । मुख्यमंत्री जी का पहले कहना था कि एस. आई. टी. कि रिपोर्ट आने के बाद बचे हुए कर्मचारियों को ड्यूटी पर ले लिया जायेगा । लेकिन अब वे बोल रहे हैं कि न्याय की बात कोर्ट में जा कर करो, हम कोई जिम्मेदारी नही लेंगे । क्या मुख्यमंत्री जी को ये पता नहीं है कि कोर्ट में फैसला होने में बीस-बीस साल लग जाता है? इतने दिनों तक केस खींचना कंपनी के लिए तो आसान है मगर मजदूरों के लिए बीस साल तक क़ानूनी लड़ाई लड़ना सम्भब है? हम देख रहे हैं कि किस तरीके से सरकार जनता के पैसों से करोडो रुपये खर्च करके मारुति सुजुकी कंपनी के लिए वकील की व्यवस्था कर रही है । हमें ये भी दिख रहा है कि कंपनी द्वारा उपलब्ध कराये गए मज़दूरों के नामों की लिस्ट के मुताबिक सरकार एस. आई. टी. जांच की रिपोर्ट तैयार कर नौजवान मज़दूरों को दोषी प्रमाणित करने की तैयारी कर रही है ताकि कोई भी मज़दूर अपने जायज अधिकारों की माँग उठाने बारे में सोच भी ना सके । लोकतान्त्रिक होने का दावा करने वाले सरकार से क्या ऐसी उम्मीद की जा सकती है? हरियाणा सरकार की एस. आई. टी. रिपोर्ट कितना मनगढ़ंत और बेबुनियाद है रिपोर्ट को कोई भी व्यक्ति पड़कर जान सकता है । हम माँग करते हैं कि इस झूठी रिपोर्ट को पूर्णतः ख़ारिज कर नए सिरे से निष्पक्ष व उच्चस्तरीय न्यायिक जांच हों ।

आज यह जान कर भी कि न्याय के सारे दरवाजों को हमारे लिए बंद कर दिये जा रहा हैं, हम न्याय के लिए संघर्ष को जारी रखने का संकल्प लेते हैं । हम बेरोजगारी, भूख और शासन-प्रशासन के दमन-उत्पीड़न के आगे घुटने नहीं टेकेंगे । हम सिर्फ अपने लिए नहीं बल्कि सभी नौजवानों के रोजगार के लिए संघर्ष के रास्ते आगे बढ़ना चाहते हैं और सभी जनता को साथ ले कर अपनी आवाज को बुलंद करना चाहते हैं । इसलिए कैथल में, जहाँ हरियाणा सरकार के उद्योग मंत्री का निवास है, हम 24 मार्च, 2013 से अनिश्चितकालीन अनशन पर बैठ रहे हैं । हम मानते हैं कि इस देश का इतिहास सिर्फ अंग्रेजों, उसके दलालों और देशी-विदेशी पूंजीपतियों का इतिहास नहीं है । यह अमर शहीद भगत सिंह, जिनकी शहादत दिवस आज 23 मार्च को है, उनके जैसे हजारों क्रांतिकारियों का भी इतिहास है ।

मज़दूर भाइयों और नागरिकों, न्याय के लिए, नौजवानों का सम्मान के साथ रोजगार के लिए, सरकार की गलत नीतियों के खिलाफ और पूंजीपतियों व सरकार के साठ-गाँठ के खिलाफ आवाज बुलंद करने में तन-मन-धन से हमारा सहयोग करे । हमारी उम्मीद हरियाणा में काम कर रहे लाखों श्रमिकों और हरियाणा के आम मेहनतकश जनता के उपर टिकी हुई है। क्योंकि श्रमिकों और मेहनतकश जनता कि बुलंद आवाज ही इस भ्रष्ट, दमनकारी और पूंजीपतियों के गोद में बैठी सरकार को न्याय के रास्ते में लाने को बाध्य कर सकती हैं। हम मारुति के मज़दूर इस अनशन के माध्यम से यह शपथ लेते हैं कि हम सिर्फ अपनी आर्थिक हितों के लिए ही नहीं, सभी मज़दूरों के हितों के लिए और हर किस्म की गैर-बराबरी व अन्याय के खिलाफ लगातार संघर्ष करेंगे। हमारी यह भूख हड़ताल देश के शासक व पूंजीपतियों के अन्याय और उत्पीड़न के खिलाफ मज़दूरों और मेहनतकश जनता की एक नई एकता की शुरुआत करेगी–यही हमारी उम्मीद हैं।

इंकलाब जिंदाबाद! मज़दूर एकता जिंदाबाद!
23 मार्च 2013
मारुति सुजुकी वर्कर्स यूनियन

मारुति सुजुकी वर्कर्स यूनियन की ओर से प्रोविजनल वर्किंग कमेटी द्वारा प्रकाशित