Appeal to Observe 4th/5th April as All-India & International Day of Protest: Free the Maruti Workers!
Comrades,
You are aware of the repression on us by the nexus of Company management-Police-Government, as 13 MSWU members have been sentenced to Life Imprisonment and 4 more workers handed 5 years by the Gurgaon Sessions Court on 18 March 2017 – without a shred of evidence, and solely on the false witness accounts by the management.
The MSWU body members have been targeted because they have been the leadership of the struggle since 2011 against illegal contract worker system and for Trade Union rights and dignity of labour. It is a ‘class attack’ as in the words of Maruti CEO RC Bhargava. All workers know that this manifestly unjust verdict is to ‘teach a lesson’ to us by those in power that we should not fight for our rights and dignity on the shop-floor and beyond.
But against this repression, thousands of workers in this industrial belt and across India and world are protesting. On the evening of the Verdict on 18th May, 30000 workers in Gurgaon-Manesar did tool down strike against the injustice. The Maruti Suzuki Mazdoor Sangh (MSMS)–the joint platform of Maruti Suzuki factories–had given a call for Protest on the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh-Rajguru-Sukhdev on 23rd March in Manesar. Despite prohibitory orders of Section 144, thousands of workers from the industrial belts in Haryana and Rajasthan rallied in protest from factory after factory in Manesar. A letter from the Jailed workers was read out, and a call given to intensify the struggle for the release of the Jailed workers. It was also decided to give economic assistance to families of the Jailed workers.
On this 23rd March Protest program, we already appealed to all to observe 4th April as an all-India Day and International of Protest. Preparations for the same have already begun in various places. Meanwhile, recognized Central Trade Unions later issued a call to organize all-India Protest in solidarity with the Maruti Suzuki workers on 5th April. So, We appeal to all workers and pro-worker forces to observe 4th/5th April 2017 as all-India and International Days of Protest and show solidarity in whatever ways possible.
The struggling workers in the Gurgaon-Manesar-Bawal-Neemrana industrial belt in the states of Haryana-Rajasthan are showing that they will not relent on their legitimate rights and strengthen their class unity against the capitalist onslaught. We have also received great courage, encouragement and thank the amazing show of Solidarity of workers with the struggle for Justice of Maruti workers. Since the last few days, there have been protests by lakhs of workers in this and other industrial belts and by various workers, student-youth, human rights and other democratic organizations in over 30 cities in the country, and deputations and solidarity positions and actions in over 21 countries. This is a long battle, and only the growing force of the movement and wider solidarity can take the struggle forward.
Provisional Working Committee,
Maruti Suzuki Workers Union
Contact: 7011865350 (Ramniwas), 9911258717 (Khusiram) on behalf of the PWC, MSWU.
Email: marutiworkerstruggle@gmail.com
यूनियन बनाने और ठेका प्रथा के खात्मे के लिए संघर्ष करने पर मारुति यूनियन के 13 सदस्यों को ‘उम्र कैद’: मारुति मजदूरों को रिहा करो!
हमारे 13 साथियों जिसमें यूनियन बॉडी के 12 सदस्य शामिल है को ह्त्या के झूठे आरोप में 18 मार्च की शाम गुड़गांव कोर्ट द्वारा उम्र कैद की सजा सुनायी गयी| 4 मजदूरों को 5 साल की सजा सुनाई गयी| 14 मजदूरों को 3 साल की सजा हई मगर वो पहले ही जेल में 4 चार साल काट चुके थे इसलिए उन्हें रिहा करा दिया गया| इससे पहले 117 मजदूरों को बरी किया गया था जो तकीरबन 4 साल जेल में बिता चुके थे, हम नहीं जानते उन सालो का हिसाब कौन देगा| 148 मज़दूर करीब 2012 से बिना जमानत के जेल में चार साल तक रहे और 2500 मजदूरों को गैर कानूनी तरीके से बर्खास्त कर दिया गया और लगातार राज्यसत्ता के दमन का सामना करना पड़ा |
हम इस झूठ को अस्वीकार करते हैं कि यहाँ एक उद्देश्यपरक फ़ैसला है| अभियोजन पक्ष का केस और अदालत का फ़ैसला दोनों बिना किसी सबूत के, झूठी गवाही और सिर्फ वर्ग द्वेष पर आधारित है| मज़दूर हितैषी प्रबंधक जिन्होंने यूनियन पंजीकृत कराने में मदद की थी, की अफ़सोसजनक मौत में मजदूरों की कोई भूमिका नहीं है – इस बात को बचाव पक्ष द्वारा अंतिम रूप से साबित किया जा चुका है| एक सुपरवाइजर द्वारा एक दलित मज़दूर जियालाल (जिसे बाद में इस केस का मुख्य आरोपी बना दिया गया ) के साथ जातिसूचक गाली गलौज और उसके निलंबन के बाद 18 जुलाई की घटना की शुरूआत हुई| यह पूरा मामला, यूनियन को खत्म करने के लिए प्रबंधन के षडयंत्र का हिस्सा है, यूनियन बनाने के अधिकार और उन मागों पर खासकर ठेका प्रथा के खात्मे का जिसके लिए यूनियन आवाज उठा रही थी और मजदूर वर्ग के संघर्ष का प्रतीक बन चुकी थी पर हमला है|
कानूनी कार्यवाही को ऊपर से देखने से पता चलता है कि 18 जुलाई के बाद प्रबंधन और सरकार के गठजोड़ द्वारा पुलिस, प्रशासन और श्रम विभाग की मदद से किस प्रकार क्रूर दमनात्मक तरीके से हजारों मजदूरों को लगातार प्रताड़ित किया गया| यह फ़ैसला जिसको देते वक्त गुडगाँव और मानेसर को पुलिस छावनी में बदल दिया गया था, पूरी तरह से मजदूर विरोधी है और कंपनी प्रबंधन के हित में पूरे देश के खासकर हरियाणा और राजस्थान में गुड़गांव से नीमराना तक के मजदूरों में डर बैठाने के लिए दिया गया है| अपनी अंतिम दलील में अभियोजन ने मजदूरों को मौत की सजा मांगते हुए मई 2013 में चंडीगढ़ हाईकोर्ट द्वारा मजदूरों की जमानत खारिज के आदेश के पीछे दिए गए तर्क के सामान, पूंजी का भरोसा पुन स्थापित करने और वैश्विक निवेशकों को आमंत्रित करने के प्रधानमंत्री के ‘मेक इन इंडिया’ कार्यक्रम की दलील दी| इन विदेशी और देशी पूंजीपतियों का भरोसा सिर्फ एक चीज पर निर्भर करता है वो है सस्ता और आज्ञाकारी श्रम बल, इसलिए ना यूनियन हो ना किसी अधिकार की मांग उठे |
पूरी यूनियन बॉडी को को निशाना बनाकर कम्पनी राज हमें बताना चाहता है कि इस देश में मज़दूर आन्दोलन, यूनियन बनाने के अधिकार और दूसरे ट्रेड यूनियन अधिकारों सहित मजदूरों के मानव अधिकारों को पूंजीपतियों और राज्य सत्ता द्वारा कुचल दिया जाएगा| हमारे यूनियन पदाधिकारियों पर सिर्फ इसलिए हमला किया गया क्योकि वे प्लांट के अन्दर प्रबंधन द्वारा मजदूरों के शोषण के खिलाफ संघर्ष का नेतृत्व कर रहे थे और 2011 से ठेका प्रथा की खात्मे की मांग करते हुए, कार्यस्थल पर सम्मान और प्रबंधन के शोषणकारी अभ्यास के खात्मे की मांग करते हुए स्थायी और ठेका मजदूरों की एकजुटता के साथ ट्रैड यूनियन अधिकारों और सम्मान के लिए लंबा निर्णायक संघर्ष छेड़ दिया था | अंतत 1 मार्च 2012 को हमारी यूनियन पंजीकृत हुई| मजदूरों की यह जीत प्रबंधन को स्वीकार नहीं थी और वे हमारी यूनियन को कुचलना चाहते थे, खासकर अप्रेल 2012 में मांगपत्र देने के बाद जिसमें ठेका प्रथा समाप्त करने की मांग थी | इसलिए उन्होंने षडयंत्र रचा और 18 जुलाई की घटना को जन्म दिया|
ऊर्जा और उम्मीद से लबरेज यह संघर्ष इस औद्योगिक क्षेत्र और होंडा, रीको, अस्ति, श्रीराम पिस्टन, डाईकिन से लेकर बेलसोनिका के मजदूरों को इस तरह के शोषण के खिलाफ लड़ने के लिए एक सकारात्मक ऊर्जा देता है| मजदूरों की इस सामूहिकता की भावना को कुचलना और कंपनी के हित में सबका सीखाना जरूरी था| इस तरह के संघर्ष और मज़दूर आंदोलनों के दमन के मामले ग्रैज़ियानो ट्रांसमिशन नोयडा, रीजेंट सेरेमिक्स पुदुचेरी, चेन्नई में प्रिकौल में भी हुए है| यह फ़ैसला इसी दमनचक्र की कड़ी है जो इसके तीखेपन को बढ़ाता है| इसलिए औद्योगिक क्षेत्रों को पुलिस छावनी में बदला जा रहा है|
और सरकार प्रबंधन के साथ श्रमिकों के विवादों को लॉ एंड आर्डर की समस्या में बदलने के लिए, यूनियन बनाने के अपने अधिकारों तथा ठेका प्रथा के खिलाफ संघर्षरत मजदूरों को अपराधी बता रही है| हम मजदूरों के अपराधी घोषित करने की तीखी भर्त्सना करते हैं|
हम भयभीत नहीं हैं ना ही इस लगातार तीखे दमन से थकने वाले है| स्थायी और ठेका के विभाजन से परे मजदूरों की एकता को और वर्तमान कंपनी राज्य सत्ता के शोषण दमन के लगातार प्रहारों के खिलाफ स्वतन्त्र वर्ग पहलकदमी को मज़बूत करते हुए हम संघर्ष को आगे ले जा सकते हैं| औद्योगिक क्षेत्र के लाखों मज़दूर 9 मार्च से लगातार समर्थन में कार्यक्रम कर रहे है और 16 मार्च को हरियाणा, राजस्थान, यू,पी, तमिलनाडु के करीब लाखों मजदूरों ने भूख़ हड़ताल की| 18 तारीख़ को फ़ैसले के तुरंत बाद मारुति सुजुकी के 5 प्लांटों के करीब 30000 मजदूरों ने प्रबंधन द्वारा काम का दबाव बढ़ाने और 8 दिन के वेतन कटौती का नोटिस देकर इसे रोकने का प्रयास करने के बावजूद एकजुटता दिखाते हुए 1 घंटे की टूल डाउन हड़ताल की |
23 मार्च भगत सिंह के शहादत दिवस पर मारुति सुजुकी मज़दूर संघ जो 6 मारुति प्लांटो का सामूहिक संगठन है, ने हजारों मजदूरों को इकट्ठा होकर मानेसर में विरोध रैली करने के लिए मानेसर चलो का आह्वान किया है| हम सभी मज़दूर हितैषी संगठनो का आह्वान करते है कि इस विरोध प्रदर्शन में भाग ले| हम संभवत 4 अप्रैल को देशव्यापी विरोध प्रदर्शन की उम्मीद कर रहे हैं|
इस निर्णायक और महत्वपूर्ण समय में हम सभी मजदूरों और मज़दूर हितैषी ताकतों से सजाप्राप्त मजदूरों को रिहा करने और न्याय तथा श्रमिक अधिकार को हासिल करने के लिए संगठित संघर्ष छेड़ने और सभी संभावित तरीके से समर्थन करने की अपील करते हैं|
23 मार्च को चलो मानेसर !
मारुति मजदूरों को रिहा करो !
औद्योगिक क्षेत्रों में दमन शोषण का राज खत्म करो!
प्रोविजनल वर्किंग कमिटी
मारुति सुजुकी वर्कर्स यूनियन
18 मार्च 2017
संपर्क: 7011865350 (रामनिवास), 9911258717 (खुशीराम) PWC, MSWU की तरफ़ से.
ई-मेल: marutiworkerstruggle@gmail.com
जानकारी के लिए देखें: marutisuzukiworkersunion.wordpress.com
13 of our brothers have been given ‘life sentences’ – including 12 Maruti Suzuki Workers Union body members – on the baseless charge of ‘murder’ on 18 March afternoon by the Gurgaon Additional Sessions Court. 4 workers given 5 year sentences. 14 workers given 3 years, but have already spent 4 years in prison, so released. Of the earlier acquitted 117 workers who spent over 4 years in Jail, we do not yet know as to who will return the lost years. 148 already spent 4 years in Jail without bail since 2012 without bail and 2500 workers were earlier illegally terminated and then faced continual State repression.
We reject the falsehood that this is an ‘objective judgement’. The Prosecution Case and Judicial Sentence is based on no evidences, false-witnesses and pure class hatred. See here for details of the arguments. Workers had no involvement in the unfortunate death of the pro-worker manager who helped in registering the Union, Mr Avanish Kumar Dev – this is conclusively proved in the legal case from the Defence. The conflict on the day of 18 July 2012 started with a supervisor attacking a Dalit worker Jiyalal – who was later made into ‘prime accused’ in the case – with caste-based abuse, and the worker’s suspension. The entire case is part of management conspiracy to finish off the Union, an attack on the Right to Union Formation itself, and the demands–particularly of abolition of Contract Worker System–it was raising and symbol it became for workers struggle.
The nature of the legal case was informed from the outset by the vitriolic repressive manner in which thousands of workers were continually hounded after 18 July 2012 by the nexus of the management and government, including the Police, administration and labour departments. This Judgement – made in between turning Gurgaon and Manesar into Police camps – is directly anti-worker and heavily influenced by the interests of the Company management, to ‘set an example’, to sow fear and terror among all industrial workers in the country, particularly the belt of Gurgaon to Neemrana in Haryana and Rajasthan. The Prosecution in its final arguments – much similar to the Chandigarh HC order of May 2013 rejecting bail for workers – arguing for ‘death penalty’ for workers, talked of the need of restoring ‘confidence’ of capital, and the Prime Minister’s initiative of inviting global investors for ‘Make in India’. The confidence of these foreign and national capitalists depend on one thing: a cheap and compliant labour force, so no Unions or any raising of demands.
By specifically targeting the entire Union body, this Company Raj wants to tell us that the workers movement, the Right to Union Formation and other Trade Union rights as well as Human Rights of workers in the country will be simply (with illegal and legal means) crushed by capitalists and the State. The attack on our Union body members is been simply because they have been the leadership of the struggle against the management practices of exploitation of labour in the factory and waged a legitimate long struggle for trade union rights and dignity since 2011 with the unity of permanent and contract workers, demanding the abolition of the contract worker system, dignity in the workplace, and an end to exploitative practices by the management. And finally registered our Union on 1 March 2012. This workers assertion was not acceptable to the management and they wanted to crush our Union, especially after submission of the Charter of Demands in April 2012 which argued for abolition of contract worker system. So they conspired and escalated the conflict on 18 July 2012.
The struggle full of vitality and hope gave positive energies for other workers to fight similar exploitation in the industrial region and beyond from Honda to Rico to Asti to Shriram Pistons to Daikin AC to Bellsonica name a few. This collective workers assertion needed to be crushed and ‘taught a lesson’ in the interests of the company managements. Similar conflicts and cases of repression on workers movements have happened from Graziano Transmissions Noida, Regent Ceramics Puducherry, Pricol in Chennai and so on. This Judgement comes in the trail of these repression, increasing its tempo. And so, the industrial areas are being turned into Police Camps.
Maruti Suzuki CEO RC Bhargava has said this is a ‘class war’. And what the government dutifully is doing is to turn workers disputes with management into a ‘Law & Order problem’, to criminalize workers fighting for their Rights of Union formation and against the Contract System. We condemn this criminalization of workers.
We are not afraid, nor tired with so much continuous repression. IT is only by increasing the tempo of the unity of workers beyond the divisions of permanent and contract, and independent class assertion against the continuous attacks of the current Company-State regime of exploitation-repression, that we can take the struggle forward. Lakhs of workers in industrial areas are already doing solidarity actions since 9 March, and on 16 March, over a lakh workers in Haryana, Rajasthan, UP, Tamil Nadu did hunger strikes. On 18th immediately after the Judgement, 30000 workers in 5 Maruti Suzuki factories did an hour of ‘tool down’ solidarity strike even though the management tried to crush it as always by pressure to work and notice of 8 days pay cut. Since 16th March, there have been protests by various workers, students, human rights and other democratic organizations in over 20 cities, and deputations and solidarity positions and actions in 21 countries.
On 23rd March – the day of martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh – the Maruti Suzuki Mazdoor Sangh (MSMS), the joint platform of all 6 Maruti Suzuki factories have given the call of ‘Chalo Manesar’, for thousands of workers to gather and do a Protest rally in Manesar. We call upon all pro-worker forces to participate in this Protest. We also feel the need for a National Day of Protest, tentatively on 4th April. In this decisive and crucial hour, we appeal to all workers and pro-worker forces to stand with the demand to free the convicted workers, and wage a protracted struggle to ensure justice and workers rights, and show solidarity in whatever ways possible.
23 March ko Chalo Manesar!
Free the Maruti Workers!
End the Regime of Exploitation-Repression in the Industrial belts.
Provisional Working Committee,
Maruti Suzuki Workers Union
18 March 2017
Contact: 7011865350 (Ramniwas), 9911258717 (Khusiram) on behalf of the PWC, MSWU.
Email: marutiworkerstruggle@gmail.com
See: marutisuzukiworkersunion.wordpress.com for updates
Over 1lakh+ workers express class solidarity with Maruti Workers
मारुति मज़दूरों के समर्थन में एक लाख से ज्यादा मज़दूरों का वर्गीय एकता और ताकत का प्रदर्शन!
On 17 March, the Gurgaon Sessions Court declares the sentences for the 31 workers convicted on 10 March by the Court with an anti-worker pro-corporate order. Expressing working class solidarity against satisfying the collective conscience of the capitalist class, on 16th March, more than 1 lakh workers boycotted lunch and dinner in nearly 50 plants in Gurgaon-Manesar-Dharuhera-Bawal-Neemrana industrial belt and beyond.
On 16th the same day, Protest Demonstrations also took place in solidarity with Maruti Suzuki workers by various mass democratic, students, human rights, and workers organisations, and Trade Unions in front of Haryana Bhawan/Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, in Rudrapur and Kashipur in Uttarakhand, in Ludhiana in Punjab, in Chennai and Coimbatore in Tamilnadu, in Kaithal in Haryana, in Bengaluru in Karnataka, in Bhilai in Chattishgarh.
The partial list of the factories plants taking part in solidarity action on 16th March in support of Maruti workers are:
1. Maruti Suzuki Workers Union, Manesar
2. Maruti Udyog Kamgar Union, Gurgaon
3. Maruti Suzuki Powertrain India Employees Union, Manesar
4. Suzuki Motorcycles India Employees Union, Khedki Daula
5. Honda Motorcycle and Scooters Employees Union, Manesar
6. Hero MotoCorp Employees Union, Gurgaon
7. Hero MotoCorp Employees Union, Dharuhera
8. Daikin air-conditioning Employees Union, Neemrana
9. Bellsonica Auto Components Employees Union, Manesar
10. Kansai Nerolac Paints Karmchari Union, Bawal
11. Rico Auto Workers Union, Dharuhera
12. Omax Auto Employees Union, Dharuhera
13. Bajaj Motors Employees Union, Narsinghpur
14. Sunbeam Workers Union, Gurgaon
15. Munjal Kiriu Employees Union, Manesar
16. Sona Koyo Steering Workers Union, Manesar
17. Microtech Union, Bawal
18. Ahresty Union, Bawal,
19.Pricol Union, Manesar
20. Hema Union, Gurgaon
21. Napino Union, Manesar
22. Satyam Auto Union, Manesar
23. GKN Union, Dharuhera
24. Metro Ortem Union, Gurgaon
25. FCC Union, Manesar
26. Munjal Showa Union, Gurgaon
27. Munjal Showa Union, Manesar
28. Talbros Union, Manesar
29. Perfetti Union, Manesar
30. Frigoglass Union, Manesar
31. Organica Medical, Manesar
32. ENKY Union, Manesar
33. Uniproduct Union, Bawal
34. Autofit Union, Dharuhera
35. Endurance Union, Manesar
36. Asti Union, Manesar
37. MK Auto Union, Gurgaon
38. Harsoriya Union, Bawal
39. Amul Union, Manesar
40. Moser Bear Union, Noida
41. LG Union, Noida
42. Shanthi Gear Union, Coimbatore
43. Onload Gear, Coimbatore
and others.
Free the falsely implicated Maruti Workers!
Down with the company-state nexus of exploitation-repression.
Down with State repression on workers movement.
आज गुड़गांव -मानेसर -धारूहेड़ा -बावल नीमराणा इंडस्ट्रियल बेल्ट, चेन्नई, ग्रेटर नोएडा के विभिन्न प्लांटों के मजदूरों ने गुड़गांव कोर्ट के राजनीतिक फैसले के ख़िलाफ़ मारुति के साथियों के समर्थन में व्यापक एकजुटता दिखाते हुए, खाने का बहिष्कार किया।
खाना बहिष्कार को सफल बनाते हुए पूरे बेल्ट के करीब 40 से ज्यादा कंपनियों के 1 लाख से ज्यादा मज़दूरों ने अपना विरोध व्यक्त किया। छोटी बड़ी सभी कंपनियों में स्थायी, ठेका, कैजुअल, अप्रैंटिस, सफाई कर्मचारियों ने आज खाने का बहिष्कार किया। मारुति सुजुकी कार प्लांट मानेसर ,मारुति सुजुकी कार प्लांट गुड़गांव ,मारुति सुजुकी पॉवर ट्रैन प्लांट मानेसर , सुजुकी बाईक प्लांट मानेसर, बेलसोनिका मानेसर, FMI मानेसर, होण्डा बाईक प्लांट मानेसर, हीरो बाईक प्लांट (गुड़गांव, धारूहेड़ा), सनबीम गुड़गांव, मेट्रो गुड़गांव, हेमा इंजीनियरिंग गुड़गांव, अस्ती इलेक्ट्रॉनिक्स गुड़गांव, बजाज गुड़गांव, एम के ऑटो गुड़गांव, ENKY गुड़गांव, मुंजाल सवा (गुड़गांव,मानेसर), भूपेन दास गुड़गांव, सत्यम ऑटो मानेसर, FCC मानेसर, फ्रीगो ग्लास मानेसर, प्रिकॉल मानेसर, डिगनिया मेडीसीन मानेसर, इंडोरेन्स मानेसर, परफेट्टी मानेसर, टालब्रॉस मानेसर, मुंजाल किरु मानेसर, नैपिनो ऑटो मानेसर, अमूल मिल्क प्लांट मानेसर, GKN धारूहेड़ा,रीको धारूहेड़ा, ऑटोफिट धारूहेड़ा, ओमेक्स धारूहेड़ा, माइक्रोटेक बावल, हरसूर्या बावल, नैरोलेक बावल, अरेस्टी बावल, डाईकिन एयर कंडीशनिंग नीमराणा, मोसर बियर ग्रैटर नोएडा, शान्ति गियर चेन्नई, ऑन लोड गियर चेन्नई इसके और भी प्लांटों के मज़दूरों के खाने का बहिष्कार किया।
इसके अलावा देश के विभिन्न शहरों दिल्ली, लुधियाना, भिलाई, बैंगलोर, चेन्नई, रुद्रपुर, कैथल में ट्रेड यूनियनों और जन संगठनों ने मारुति मज़दूरों के समर्थन में जोरदार विरोध प्रदर्शन किया।
ये एक मिसाल है जिस प्रकार पूंजीपति उनकी दलाल सरकारें, न्याय व्यवस्था का गठजोड़ षड्यंत्र कर रहा हैं उसके ख़िलाफ़ मज़दूर भी, खासकर गुड़गांव से बावल औद्योगिक क्षेत्र की मज़दूर शक्ति संगठित हो रहे हैं। आज जरूरत है इस फौलादी एकता, इस सामूहिक पहल को अगले स्तर पर ले जाने की ताकि ना सिर्फ मारुति मज़दूरों के संघर्ष को न्याय के मुकाम तक पहुंचाया जा सके, बल्कि पूरे बेल्ट के मज़दूरों का आंदोलन आगे बढ़े। मालिक और पूंजीपति मज़दूरों को साफ़ समझ लेना चाहिए कि उनके हर षडयंत्र का, दमन का मुहंतोड़ जवाब दिया जाएगा।
मारुति के मजदूरों को बिना शर्त रिहा करो!
पूंजीवादी दमन मुर्दाबाद! सरकारी दमन मुर्दाबाद!
मारूति मामले में आज 10 मार्च को कोर्ट का फैसला आ गया। 148 लोग जो जेल में थे, उनमें से 31 को दोषी करार दिया गया और 117 लोग जो जेल में चार साल की सजा भुगत चुके थे, आरोपमुक्त कर दिया गया।
31 में से 13 लोगों पर ह्त्या, ह्त्या के प्रयास, आगजनी, षडयंत्र का आरोप तय हुआ। बाकि 18 पर मारपीट, चोट पहुंचाने और अनाधिकृत प्रवेश, जमघट लगाने का आरोप तय हुआ है। 31 दोषी मजदूरों में से 13 मज़दूरों राममेहर, संदीप ढिलों, राम विलास, सरबजीत, पवन कुमार, सोहन कुमार, अजमेर सिंह, सुरेश कुमार, अमरजीत, धनराज, योगेश, प्रदीप गुर्जर, जियालाल को 302, 307, 427,436, 323, 325, 341, 452, 201,120B जैसी धाराओं के अंतर्गत दोषी ठहराया गया है। इसमें मारूति यूनियन बॉडी मेम्बर सहित जियालाल शामिल हैं। दूसरी कैटेगरी में शामिल 14 लोगों को धारा 323, 325, 148, 149, 341, 427 के तहत आरोपी ठहराया गया है। तीसरी कैटेगरी में शामिल 4 लोगों को धारा 323, 425, 452, के तहत आरोपी ठहराया गया है। सभी आरोपियों को 17 मार्च को सजा सुनाई जायेगी।
ये एक राजनीतिक फ़ैसला था जिसमें तथ्यों के परे जाकर सजा सुनाई गयी है। ये फ़ैसला पूंजीपतियों के पक्ष में ना सिर्फ 148 मारूति मजदूरों, 2500 परिवारों के ख़िलाफ़ है बल्कि पूरे मज़दूर वर्ग खासकर गुड़गांव से नीमराणा तक के औद्योगिक क्षेत्र के मज़दूरों के ख़िलाफ़ है। इस फ़ैसले से राज्य सत्ता न्याय वयवस्था का रूख स्पष्ट हो जाता है और सवाल उठता है कि मज़दूर आख़िर किस से न्याय की उम्मीद करें। क्या 13 यूनियन सदस्यों को इसलिए फंसाया गया, सजा दी गयी कि वे मज़दूरों का प्रतिनिधित्व कर रहे थे और मारूति मैनेजमैन्ट की आँख में खटक रहे थे।बचाव पक्ष की अधिवक्ता ने कहा कि माना मानेसर प्लांट के घटनाक्रम में एक व्यक्ति की जान गयी मगर इन 13 लोगों के ख़िलाफ़ बहुत कमज़ोर साक्ष्य है। जिन 117 मजदूरों को आज आरोपमुक्त घोषित किया गया, उन्होनें ने जो चार साल जेल में गुजारे उसका हिसाब कौन देगा, इसके लिए किसी को दोषी ठहराया जाएगा, क्या उनके चार साल कोई वापस लौटा सकता है। इनका दोष मुक्त साबित होना यह दिखाता है कि इनके नाम पूरे घटनाक्रम को दूसरा रूप देने के लिए, मज़दूरों के ख़िलाफ़ झूठा माहौल बनाने के लिए डाला गया था। अधिवक्ता वृंदा ग्रोवर ने ये फैसला हाईकोर्ट में कहीं भी टिकने वाला नहीं है हम आगे इस फ़ैसले के ख़िलाफ़ हाईकोर्ट में जाएंगे।
9 मार्च को जिस प्रकार से गुड़गांव से लेकर मानेसर तक जिस प्रकार से 25000 मजदूरों ने अपने साथियों के समर्थन में खाने का बहिष्कार कर अपनी एकजुटता और ताकत दिखायी वो प्रशासन और प्रबंधन के लिए आगे उठने वाले आंदोलन की एक झलक भर है। आज जिस प्रकार से गुड़गांव कोर्ट से लेकर मानेसर प्लांट तक कदम कदम पर पुलिस तैनात थी वो प्रशासन और प्रबंधन के मज़दूर विरोधी रूख को दर्शाता है। ये लोग मजदूरों के संगठन, उनकी एकजुटता से डरते हैं। आज मानेसर प्लांट के मजदूरों को काफी देर तक प्लांट के अंदर रोककर रखा गया।
आज इस फ़ैसले के बाद कमला नेहरू पार्क, गुड़गांव में पुलिस की भारी मौजूदगी में ट्रेड यूनियन की बैठक हुई। जिसमें सभी ने इस अन्यायपूर्ण फ़ैसले की एक स्वर से भर्त्सना की और इसके विरोध में बावल से लेकर गुड़गांव तक की सभी यूनियनों ने आगामी 16 मार्च को लंच बहिष्कार का फ़ैसला किया। साथ ही सब ने होली ना मनाने का फ़ैसला किया। आंदोलन की आगे की रणनीति तय करने के लिए आगामी 15 मार्च को देवीलाल पार्क में ट्रेड यूनियनों की बैठक है। पूरी प्रक्रिया में जिस प्रकार से आरोप गठित हुए, सुनवाई चली वो न्याय व्यवस्था की जटिलता जिससे मजदूरों के फ़ैसले प्रभावित होते हैं को स्पष्ट तरीके से सामने लाती है। सवाल यह है कि पुरे भारत का मज़दूर आन्दोलन और खासकर गुड़गांव से लेकर बावल तक का मज़दूर आंदोलन इस फ़ैसले से कितना प्रभावित होगा, आंदोलन आगे की रणनीति किस प्रकार तय करेगा।
आज हम और पुरे भारत का मज़दूर आन्दोलन एक अहम समय पर है| हम पुरे भारत के मजदूरों और मज़दूर-हितेषी ताकतों से अपील करते है की इस महत्वपूर्ण घड़ी में, आने वाले दिनो में एकजुट होकर इस मज़दूर-विरोधी फैसले के खिलाफ और हमारे साथियो के सम्रथन में रोष व्यक्त करे और एक्शन ले – कंपनियो के अन्दर और बहार, प्रदर्शन करके, मीटिंगे करके, प्रेस को बयान देके, या कोई भी तरीके से| हमे एक लम्बी लड़ाई की तय्यारी करनी है| पूंजीपति वर्ग हमे एक उदहारण बनाना चाहता है यह बोलकर की ‘अगर तुम अपने हकों के लिए ऐसे संघर्ष करोगे, तो यही हश्र होगा’| इसके खिलाफ हमने एक उदहारण पहले भी बनाया है और आज भी बनाना है की हम शोषण और दमन पर टिकी इस व्यवस्था के खिलाफ हमारे आपसी विभाजनो और मदभेदो के बावजूद, एक साथ लड़ेंगे| हम अपने वर्गीय भाई-बहनो के साथ एक चट्टानी एकता बनायेंगे, ताकि इस पूंजीपति व्यवस्था और राज्य व केंद्र सरकारो के खिलाफ न्याय का संघर्ष जिंदा रहे और मज़दूर वर्ग की जीत हो|
इंकलाब जिंदाबाद!
प्रोविसोनल वर्किंग कमिटी, मारुती सुजुकी वर्कर्स यूनियन
10 मार्च 2017
We have been handed an anti-worker political verdict in the Maruti Suzuki workers case going on since July 2012. This is Judgment is ‘class justice’, clearly on the side of the multinational companies. It is not only against the workers directly involved in struggle for Trade Union Rights and the 2500 working class families of Maruti Suzuki facing exploitation-repression all these years, but the entire working class in India, particularly in Gurgaon-Manesar to Neemrana industrial belts. This is despite the fact that no evidence was found against any worker to either the unfortunate death of the HR official or fire in the factory on 18th July 2012.
31 of 148 workers in Jail for last over 4 years have been convicted even against clear evidences to the contrary. 117 workers among the 148 – who spent over 4 years in Jail – have been acquitted of all charges. With convictions and charges declared, the arguments for quantum of punishment will be held on 17 March in the Gurgaon Sessions Court. Of the convicted 31 workers, 13 – which includes the entire Maruti Suzuki Workers Union body – have been charged under various serious sections under the IPC, which include 302 (murder) and others. 18 workers among the 31 have been charged with various offences like rioting, grievous hurt, injury and so on.
Meanwhile the entire Gurgaon and Manesar areas have been turned into Police camps with Sections 144 from 10th to 15th March and deployment of huge Police and paramilitary forces and machinery. Police gheraoed the Maruti factory in Manesar during the time the Judgement was been read out, and halted workers from the plant to gather in Gurgaon with solidarity with the Jailed workers – the SP even showed the gun to the leadership, warning of ‘dire consequences’ against any sign of protest.
In the Verdict, 13 workers among the workers leadership have been charged under Sections 302 (murder), 307, 436, 427, 325, 323, 341, 452, 201, 120B. It has been clearly established in Court by the Defense that murder or attempt to murder do not hold. They face potential life term sentences, while the Prosecution baying for blood, even asked for death sentence in their statements to the media. It is clear that the entire Union body of MSWU has been specifically targeted, despite no evidences, only because they were vocal for workers rights. They have been targeted because they have been the leadership of the struggle for Trade Union rights against the contract system, the horrible working conditions, the low wages, and regime of exploitation and repression by the company aided by the government. These 13 include workers Jiyalal and the entire Union body of the Maruti Suzuki Workers Union, who are Ram Meher, Sandeep Dhillon, Ram Bilas, Sarabjeet Singh, Pawan Kumar, Sohan Kumar, Ajmer Singh, Suresh Kumar, Amarjeet, Dhanraj Bambi, Pradeep Gujjar and Yogesh.
18 other workers have been charged under various other sections of the IPC. Among these, 4 workers – Ram Shabad, Iqbal Singh, Yogender Singh, Pardeep Gujjar – have been charged under Sections 323, 425, 452, 147, 149 of the IPC. The other 14 workers have been charged with Sections 323, 325, 148, 149, 341, 427 of the IPC.
That 117 workers have been acquitted of all charges show that the case was unjust from the beginning and it has demolished the foundation of the Prosecution case. But they still had to spend 4 and a half years in Jail. We want to ask who will return us these years spent unjustly behind prison walls?
Nevertheless, the workers are united against this repression on the movement. On 9 March, 25000 workers in 6 factories took actions with lunch and dinner boycott, and gate meetings before that. On 10 March after the Verdict, we met in Gurgaon at 4pm after the Verdict, and decided to take the struggle forward with even greater show of unity. Workers from over 30 Unions immediately came and joined in Solidarity, which include all the 4 Maruti plants, Bellsonica, FMI, Honda HMSI, Rico, FCC Rico, Munjal Showa, Munjal Kiriu, Daikin AC and many others. Various Central Trade Unions and workers organisations also joined in solidarity.
It was jointly decided to take solidarity actions in the entire industrial belt. On the date before the punishments are declared on 17 March by the Court, on 16th March, lakhs of workers from Gurgaon to Bawal will boycott factory lunch and dinner in solidarity with the struggle for justice for Maruti Suzuki workers.
This is crucial situation, which affects the entire working class of India. We appeal to all workers and pro-workers forces in the country and everywhere to take solidarity actions in and outside the factories, protest demonstrations, meetings, deputations, press releases, and in any other form in the coming days.
This is a time we have to prepare for a protracted struggle. They want to ‘make an example out of us’ by saying that ‘anyone who struggles for their legitimate rights will be dealt in this way’. But we have made and will make a positive example of collective assertions and struggle against exploitation and repression through forging an ever greater unity of our class brothers and sisters. We shall together fight this present rule of corporate power and the anti-worker central and state governments which is ruthlessly crushing our labour, dreams and our quest for justice.
Provisional Working Committee
Maruti Suzuki Workers Union
We are writing with an appeal, and update on the legal case. The Maruti Suzuki workers case (‘State of Haryana vs Jiyalal & Others’) is going on since July 2012 through a maze of evidence-less lies and clear pro-corporate anti-worker intent. Since 2012, 216 workers face possible convictions by a pro-corporate system, besides the terminations (and labour cases) of 546 permanent workers and 1800 contract workers, and a separate case of offences against 111 more workers in Kaithal since 2013.
The date for the Judgment from the Trial Court, the Gurgaon Additional District and Sessions Court, has been set for 10th March 2017. We are apprehensive and have grounds to believe that it will be a politically motivated anti-worker Judgement. The hand-shaking between the Maruti Suzuki company management and the Police, administration, the government and Judiciary could not be more clear as in this case. We are apprehensive about a Pricol-type ‘life sentences’ and long-term convictions against hundreds of workers and are preparing with a call for unity of all workers and all pro-worker forces. We appeal to you from the Provisional Working Committee, Maruti Suzuki Workers Union to be present in the Gurgaon Sessions Court premises on the day of the Judgement in the case on the 10th of March. We also appeal to you to be united and take solidarity actions in support of Justice for all Maruti Suzuki workers facing repression by the Central and State Government and the Company.
Update on the Legal Case as it Stands during the Final Arguments:
Context: We had 3 strikes in 2011 where we raised voice against the system of exploitation in the factory, and had to face continued management attacks on our Trade Union rights with complicity of the administration. We finally formed our Union – Maruti Suzuki Workers Union, Manesar (Reg. No.1923) on 1 March 2012. In April, we submitted their Charter of Demands, where the Union said abolition of contract worker system as one of its central demands, among others. This kind of assertion of our rights against their exploitation was not being taken lightly by the Company management, as it challenged their power and profits. They wanted to attack the Union through their power and conspiracy, which resulted in the incident on 18 July 2012, of a clash inside the plant and the death of an HR manager. Since then, 147 workers have been in Jail without having got bail for more than 3-and-a-half years on charges ranging from murder, attempt to murder, rioting, looting, setting fire to private property and various Sections of the IPC. Currently, 11 workers continue to be in jail without bail, which includes the members of the then Union Body. 66 more workers other than the 147 have similar charges under various non-bailable sections. Along with this criminalization of labour, 546 permanent and 1800 contract workers were terminated from their jobs, whose labour cases are also ongoing. 2500 working class families faced constant repression and penury on top of exploitation of the workers in the factory which created the basis for the management-labour conflict. We have had a movement against this regime of exploitation and repression till today.
The final legal arguments in the Maruti Suzuki workers Trial case concluded on 18 February, 2017 with arguments by Advocates Vrinda Grover, Rebecca John and RS Cheema against the State Prosecution. Find here some facts on the case as it stands in the Courts:
1. It was established during the final arguments that there is no direct evidence linking ‘murder’ or ‘setting fire’ to the factory on any worker. No prosecution witness could establish any worker involvement in the same. Neither was any CCTV footage produced by the Prosecution even after Defence asked for the same. The management person Deepak Anand from GM Vigilance who filed the FIR against the 55 Maruti workers named therein, could not identify any worker. The witness Salil Vihari who named the main accused Jiyalal, could not identify him.
2. On 18 July 2012, the incident of conflict happened at 7.20pm. But Police was called by the Company management at 11am itself, but Police was not allowed inside until the entire incident came to a boil. It has already been said by workers that it was a pre-planned conspiracy on behalf of the management so that a conflict is generated and workers can be implicated on this basis. Bouncers in workers clothes were also brought inside in the morning itself without IDs.
3. The FIR mentions that 400–500 workers with rods, batons and sticks in hand entered the HR and beat the management but no witness mentions these weapons. Instead all the witness uniformly said that workers were carrying shockers and door beams – each doorbeam and shocker weighing over 4kgs, so around 4000kgs of weapons were supposedly recovered. On top of this, Police show that a major section of workers took all these weapons to their respective homes and kept them under their beds and almirahs. For another set of workers, Police showed that they caught 20 workers simultaneously siting under a tree conveniently possessing all these weapons.
4. Also, witnesses had said that each manager was beaten up by 4-5 workers with these weapons with intention of murder. The also stated that no one came to rescue them. But if this was so, then how did they manage to rescue themselves with no serious injury? To this, they said that the workers themselves let them off, which clearly is no intention to murder! The witnesses testified that all of them uniformly stopped the attacks with their left hand. In the MLC done on management injuries show absurdities as a dental root canal as injury!
5. It has been established how 89 of the 147 workers have been arrested on the basis of names given alphabetically by 4 contractors. None of these workers were identified. Court documents show witness Virendra alias Rajender Yadav has named 25 workers such that all workers’ names fall in the alphabetical range of A-G. Another witness contractor Yaad Ram testified that he saw 25 workers rioting, all of whose names fall in the next range G-P. Witness Ashok Rana names 26 workers who were allegedly rioting whose names range from P-S. The final witness Rakesh of Tirupati Associates who supplied 900 contract workers to MSIL testified to allegedly seeing 13 workers whose names, continuing the alphabetic sequence, are in the range S-Y.
6. The lists of workers arrested thus was provided by the Company to the Police, and not on the basis of its own investigation, pointing to an active collusion between the two.
7. On ‘setting fire to the factory’: There was no evidence whatsoever as to setting fire and no witness could explain how the fire was lit and who did it. First, there were contradictory statements as to where the fire was lit – in the conference (M1) room in the first floor, or outside it, or in the ground floor. Awanish Dev’s dead body was recovered from the M1 room, and the witnesses claimed that the room was lit on fire from inside where fighting was taking place, but while testifying they argued that the room caught fire from the outside.
Fire lit and burnt everything down but the match box (a new one) was conveniently unharmed and lying there to be discovered. This recovery of the match box itself was not immediate. At the place of the incident, when the security on-watch, Om Prakash, went on 19th July 2012 in the morning at 6 am, to the M1 store with a photographer nothing was recovered. Then on that very day at 12 pm FSL authority D. Sonu searched and recovered a new match box and a door frame, and where the room was entirely burnt there was no sign of the matches itself being lit. He neither signed the recovery report nor did he testify in court on the recovered matches and door beam.
On the setting of fire inside the M1 room, of the 16 witnesses that had stated that the room was lit on fire, and 3 witnesses took names of those who did it. None of these witnesses could identify any worker or wrongly identified.
8. According to the postmortem report, Awanish Dev’s death was due to asphyxiation. The injury he had is below the knee on the right leg, which cannot lead to death which proves that neither is there a murder case possible against the workers nor is their intention to murder in this case. So Sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) clearly do not hold. At max, only 2 people can cause such an injury, while 216 workers have been accused of murder and attempt to murder.
Thus even though this is, on the face of it, pertaining to the case on 18 July 2012 where a general manager of the company Awanish Kumar Dev died in the conflict that erupted that day after a Dalit worker Jiyalal was suspended from duty unilaterally when a supervisor attacked him and gave casteist abuse. But as is evident by now, it was a conspiracy from the management against assertion of workers for our Trade Union rights.
Even so, the considerations of the Judiciary are suspect as is evident from one of the High Court orders in May 2013 rejecting bail said “this is one one of the unfortunate incident that has lowered the reputation of India in the world. Foreign direct investment is likely not to happen due to fear of growing labour unrest”. The State has already spent crores of public money all these years against the workers. As per RTI, the government paid Advocate KTS Tulsi R.5.5 crore in just 2 years – s. 11 lakh per appearance – just in the Gurgaon Additional District and Sessions Court, Mr Tulsi’s three assistants Rs. 66000 for each appearance and “clerkage” of over Rs. 1 lakh for his expenses each appearance. If this was not enough, instead of the Public Prosecutor from the State, Private Prosecutor from the Company, Vikas Pahwa again kept the ‘last word’ on their behalf in the Sessions Court Gurgaon during the final arguments.
Will there be Justice for Maruti Workers?
The 147 workers who have spent over four years in Jail, and 11 who continue to be jailed without bail since July 2012, the total implicated 216, the 2500 families, those who have lost their family members in that course of time or not been able to see their children grow up for those years or have not been able to part of the joys and sorrows of their family for that time – will there be justice?
In this industrial belt, workers struggle have happened from Rico Gurgaon (2009) to Shriram Pistons Bhiwadi (2014) to Honda Tapukhera (2016) and countless others against regime of exploitation on workers by the profit-hungry MNCs. Management. In all these cases, to control the simmering tension, there have been outright repression through terminations, violence, murders, lathi-charges, false criminal cases and prison terms by the Police-administration-government and local goons on the company’s payrolls. In current workers struggles, while the management says, “we will make Maruti-like situation for you” (repress you like the Maruti workers), the workers also say right back, “This can turn into a Maruti-like situation” (Workers will wage a collective movement relentlessly against exploitation-repression). We say this will be a ‘political judgement’ since this judgement becomes a measure and signal of which version of ‘maruti-like situation’ stands.
On 1st March 2017, we marked 6 years of the formation of our Union with a gate meeting in front ofthe factory in Manesar, where thousands of workers and Unions participated. After this, the company has moved a stay order against 10 terminated workers in the leadership of the Provisional Working Committee, MSWU to stay 2kms away from the company gate. On 7th March, various Unions met in Gurgaon and resolved to hold factory gate meetings and give warning letters to their managements in solidarity with Jailed workers which happened on 8th March. There is lunch and dinner Boycott in various factories on 9th March. Hundreds of workers will gather in the Court premises at 10am and in the afternoon on 10th March.
We appeal to you to be united and resist this onslaught by capitalists and the government, and stand with the workers class movement in this crucial and decisive situation. We appeal to you from the Provisional Working Committee, Maruti Suzuki Workers Union to be present in the Gurgaon Sessions Court premises on the day of the Judgement in the case on the 10th of March. We also appeal to you to take solidarity actions in support of Justice for all Maruti Suzuki workers facing repression by the Central and State Government and the Company.
Provisional Working Committee,
Maruti Suzuki Workers Union
(Ramniwas: 7011865350, Khusiram: 9911258717 on behalf of the PWC, MSWU)
MARUTI SUZUKI WORKERS UNION
(Registration No. 1923)
IMT Manesar, Gurgaon
Ref. No.. TU-1/10/15 Date…03/10/2015
Dear Comrade,
As you know, since 18th July 2012 in the Maruti factory in Manesar-Haryana-India, as per the nexus of management-police-administration-government, we have had to face the heavy hand of injustice and repression, which continues to this day. 215 of our fellow workers have baseless fabricated cases on them, 147 workers have been jailed, 2300 workers have had their jobs terminated including 546 permanent workers. Today, more than three years later, 35 workers continue to languish in jail without bail. The last stages of debate on the trial is approaching. The company management and state are in full preparation to set an example by handing the harshest sentence on workers, so that workers fear to raise their voices in struggle.
The state is keen to show its commitment to the interests of national-international capital, by clearing all ‘bottlenecks’ to the logic of their business, by crushing all resistance put up by workers who make and suffer this senseless model of development. The pro-corporate changes in labour laws to the repression of Maruti workers are sides of the same coin. So the Maruti Suzuki workers who languish in jail for more than three years without any semblance of concrete proof of their ‘guilt’ are political prisoners in the conflict between the class of owners and the working class. This is the reason that workers of Orient Craft and Graziano have to be behind bars for years on end. And this is the reason that the Judge in the Chandigarh High Court has to say that ‘the bail of Maruti workers will affect foreign investment’. In such a scenario, all pro-worker forces and individuals will again have to come together against this conspiracy of power.
As the last debate in the Trial Court in Gurgaon approaches, we have decided to undertake ‘Campaign for Justice’ in various parts of the country to expose this unholy nexus of the company management and the State. It is with your solidarity till date that our struggle has seen this long mile. It is our appeal that you again participate and take this campaign up in whatever capacities and ways possible. It is our appeal that you organize programs in your own cities and localities with various pro-worker and pro-people forces, in which we would also come and participate.
Towards the end of this campaign, on 27th November 2015, come and attend the ‘Workers Justice Convention’ in Gurgaon and make the program successful and a marker of continued and strengthening united resolve of forces struggling against state-corporate nexus.
With Revolutionary Greetings,
Provisional Working Committee
Maruti Suzuki Workers Union
[Rajpal- 9466167876, Ramniwas- 8901127876]
प्रिय साथी,
मोदी सरकार बड़े पूंजीपतियों के हितों को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए देश के मज़दूर वर्ग पर एक कटु आघात चला रही है| मज़दूरों के यूनियन बनाने, हड़ताल करने, स्थायी और सुरक्षित नौकरियां पाने और यहाँ तक कि न्यूनतम मज़दूरी पा कर एक सम्मानजनक जीवन जीने के अधिकारों को दरकिनार करने के लिए मज़दूर विरोधी श्रम कानून सुधारों को लागू किया जा रहा है| इन मज़दूर विरोधी हमलों के खिलाफ सभी केन्द्रीय ट्रेड यूनियनों द्वारा अखिल भारतीय मज़दूर हड़ताल की संयुक्त घोषणा की गयी है|
इस संदर्भ में मारुती सुजुकी वर्कर्स यूनियन (मानेसर प्लांट), मारुती सुजुकी कामगार यूनियन (गुड़गांव प्लांट), मारुती सुजुकी पॉवरट्रेन इंडिया एमप्लोयीज़ यूनियन (इंजन प्लांट) और सुजुकी मोटरसाईकिल इंडिया एमप्लोयीज़ यूनियन (बाइक प्लांट) ने ‘मारुती सुजुकी मज़दूर संघ’ के बैनर के अंतर्गत संयुक्त रूप से उत्पादन रोकने और 2 सितम्बर की हड़ताल में शामिल होने का फैसला किया है| प्रबंधन को पहले से ही स्ट्राइक नोटिस दिया जा चूका है| मारुती यूनियनों ने गुड़गांव-मानेसर-धारूहेड़ा-बावल औद्योगिक क्षेत्र में सभी यूनियनों के बीच हड़ताल में शामिल होने की सर्वसहमति बनाने में भी एक महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई है| हम इस पहलकदमी के लिए उन्हें बधाई देते हैं|
यह कदम कई कारणों से महत्वपूर्ण है| 18 जुलाई 2012 के बाद मारुती सुजुकी, खासकर मानेसर प्लांट के मज़दूरों ने प्रबंधन, प्रशासन, पुलिस और न्यायालयों के हाथों कड़े आघात और दमन का सामना किया है| 148 मज़दूर ज़मानत के बिना करीब तीन साल तक जेल की सज़ा काटते रहे| इनमें से 35 साथी अब तक जेल में हैं और उच्च न्यायालय ने हाल ही में इनमें से दो की ज़मानत की अपील ख़ारिज की है| अन्य 64 मज़दूरों के खिलाफ़ गैर-ज़मानती वारंट हैं और इन्हें भगोड़ा घोषित कर रखा है| पुलिस अब तक उनके पीछे पड़ी है| 423 स्थायी मज़दूर, 123 ट्रेनी मज़दूर, और 1800 ठेका मज़दूर बिना किसी जांच के कम्पनी से निकाल दिए गए हैं| मज़दूरों को IMT मानेसर इलाके में शांतिपूर्ण विरोध प्रदर्शन करने की इजाज़त तक नहीं दी गयी| अंदर काम कर रहे मज़दूरों को बंदूक की नोख पर काम करने को मजबूर किया गया और करीब 2 साल तक कोई यूनियन गतिविधि जारी करने की इजाज़त नहीं दी गयी| किन्तु, बाहर हुए मज़दूरों ने सभी कठिनाइयों का सामना करते हुए भी आज तक अपने संघर्ष को जारी रखा है, और अंदर काम कर रहे मज़दूरों ने इस दमन का जम कर मुकाबला करते हुए यूनियन गतिविधियों को पुनः जारी किया है और बाहर हुए और जेल में बंद संघर्षरत मज़दूरों का समर्थन करते रहे हैं| यह हड़ताल दमन और संघर्ष के ऐसे ही माहौल में होने वाली है|
हम अपने संघर्ष को, या हम पर हो रहे दमन को गुड़गांव-मानेसर-धारूहेड़ा-बावल-नीमराना-भिवाड़ी क्षेत्र के मज़दूर वर्ग के संघर्षों से, श्रीराम पिस्टन, डाईकिन, मिंडा, बैक्सटर, मुंजाल किरिऊ, पौस्को, औटोफिट, हीरो मोटोकोर्प, अस्ति, ताल्ब्रोस, औटोलिव, नपिनो ऑटो, JNS, बजाज मोटर्स, ओरिएंट क्राफ्ट, ऋचा गारमेंट्स इत्यादि में (पिछले तीन सालों में हुए) संघर्षों से, व हमारे देश के संगठित और असंगठित मज़दूरों और उनके प्रतिरोध से अलगाव में नहीं देखते हैं| यह हड़ताल दमन और शोषण के इस तंत्र के खिलाफ संघर्ष करने के हमारे सामूहिक संकल्प की छवि है|
आइये, हम 2 सितम्बर की इस हड़ताल को बड़ी सफलता तक ले जाए और सरकार की मज़दूर-विरोधी गतिविधियों का मुहतोड़ जवाब दें|
मज़दूर एकता और संघर्ष जिंदाबाद!
इंकलाब जिंदाबाद!
लाल सलाम!
प्रोविजनल वर्किंग कमेटी
मारुती सुजुकी वर्कर्स यूनियन
Maruti Suzuki Workers Union 