The 14 day strike in Maruti Suzuki’s biggest plant in Manesar, Haryana resolved on 21st October. A mutual discussion between the Maruti Workers and Management led to an agreement on reinstating 64 permanent workers and 1200 contractual workers.
The whole issue came to the surface on 24th July when workers demanded recognition of a separate union in Manesar. Maruti management recognizes only one union which is at the Gurgaon plant of Maruti Suzuki. “There are four production plants in Haryana. Workers of all the plants were members of the Gurgaon union. The leaders were controlled by the management itself. The workers couldn’t have their say. So, all the workers decided to form a separate union here in Manesar plant” says Shiv Kumar, General Secretary on Maruti Suzuki Employees Union (MSEU). But the Maruti Management refused to recognize this union in Manesar.
The strike started on 7th October. Workers stopped production and announced a ‘tool down’ in the IMT Manesar plant, Haryana. They were allegedly forced to sign a document and faced violence from management. Parvesh was one of those who faced these atrocities.
On 14th October High court ordered workers to move out of Maruti Suzuki plant. They organized a mass rally on 17th October in which more then 8,000 workers participated. Complete halt on production brought Maruti’s profit down in October by 59.8%.
After this, in a meeting between members of management and workers Maruti management agreed to reinstate 64 workers, but another 30 workers, against whom there were serious legal allegations of violence, were refused reinstatement.
This whole strike began with the demand of formation of separate union in the IMT Manesar plant. Though the strike has been resolved, their demand of separate union remains unfulfilled.
