Manesar protests: Workers say targeted due to unionisation demand

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“The company tried to dissuade people from joining the union. Our salaries had not been increased for years and repeated requests were being turned down. In November 2021, I took five days off work, and when I returned, I was summoned to the office at 5.27 pm and intimated that I had been promoted and transferred to Bhiwadi. I had to report there, and there was no notice. How can I just leave my family and move in a day? The next day, they did not allow me to enter the office,” said Sushila, who stays in Manesar.

Rinki, one of the women workers leading the protests, said that they decided to form a union since workers, especially women, had to suffer harassment. “There were several instances of eve-teasing. We also wanted to address safety concerns at work. We only get one jacket and a pair of shoes, and the money for that is deducted from our salaries. Workers should get a proper uniform. Apart from a salary hike, workers should also be entitled to social security benefits. All these are part of our demand note in the union file,” she said.

Jyoti, a contractual worker, said she was sent on leave in November as she was associated with the union formation group. “The permanent workers were transferred and contractual ones were sent on leave. Our entry was barred and we could not board the company’s bus,” she said.

Yashoda, a contractual worker, said her salary when she started working in 2013 was Rs 5,500 per month. “I earn Rs 9,500 now. In nine years, it’s a paltry increase. We sat in front of the gate yesterday, violating the court’s orders since no one has been paying heed to our demands for more than a month now. We are protesting for our rights,” she added.

On Wednesday, workers sat in a green belt area, about 500 metres from the company’s gate and 50 metres from where the charred bus stood in the middle of the road. Workers denied that protesters had set the bus on fire and shattered the windowpanes of another bus claiming that it was done by some outsiders to pin the blame on them.

“Police hauled us into buses around 5 pm and took us to the police station. If we are all at the police station, how will we set the bus on fire? Police resorted to lathicharge when they detained us,” said Jyoti.

A spokesperson of JNS Instruments Ltd company said, “All these allegations are baseless. We have a staff of more than 1,300 workers here with a majority of women and there is a healthy work environment. We have not opposed the workers’ decision to form a union or to stage protests, which is their right. But yesterday, the protesters violated the court’s injunction orders and blocked entry to the premises, due to which production and supply were halted and we suffered a substantial loss. So, we filed a complaint and called the police. The protesters were detained.” He said that the company had transferred nine women permanent workers to Bhiwadi after promotion and gave them a salary hike for training purposes. “Out of nine, five have joined while the others did not and their case is subjudice,” he said.

The spokesperson added that the protesters set a bus ablaze and broke the windowpane of another bus, which was sent for ferrying the company’s workers: “One of our colleagues was seated in the bus and quickly deboarded.”

Subhash Chand, SHO, IMT Manesar police station, said, “A total of 130 people were arrested and released on bail.

Two FIRs have been registered. One was registered on the complaint of an official of JNS Instruments Ltd company, and another was registered on the complaint of a bus driver, whose bus was vandalised.”

Police said no one was lathicharged. “The duty magistrate was called and he appealed to workers to leave. After the
workers refused to leave, they were detained in two police buses,” he said.