Strike shuts Gurgaon-Manesar belt

Around 10 am,the agitating workers beat up Sanjeev Arya,a deputy general manager at Rico,at the manufacturing unit’s gate while he was on way to meet the district administration to sort out the issue,senior company officials said.

The protestors submitted a memorandum to Gurgaon’s additional deputy commissioner,seeking compensation of Rs 50 lakh for Yadav’s family. They are also demanding police action against those guilty,and a job for one member from Yadav’s family.

Satbir Singh of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC),which is leading the strike along with CITU,said the company should also recognise the union and pay Rs 5 lakh each to families of those injured in Sunday’s clash.

While company officials said between five and 11 persons were injured,workers put the figure at 40.

Today’s strike affected units in Gurgaon-Dharuweda belt,extending up to Baawal and Rewari.

Surendra Singh,senior vice-president (HR) of Rico Auto Industries,said the agitation began on a small scale in August,when a “segment of workers demanded that their salaries be raised by Rs 10,000 annually”. He said,“The management was willing to hold talks with them but they resorted to indiscipline,even violence. After several warnings,we were forced to suspend 16 workers for disciplinary reasons in September.”

He said the company would pay Yadav’s family a compensation of Rs 5 lakh. “We are also ready to bear the cost of his child’s education and have no problem in giving a job to his wife,” Singh said. “But we will talk directly to his family,without any external influence.”

The Haryana government had termed the strike illegal on October 1 after conciliation efforts failed and referred it to the labour court.

K C Papreja,honorary general manager of Gurgaon Industries Association,said,“All units in Gurgaon-Manesar belt are inter-related ancillary units. Irrespective of their size,if one shuts down,it has a domino effect on all.” While Section 144 of CrPC is in force,Gurgaon Police Commissioner S S Deswal said,“We have called for 10 companies from Haryana Armed Forces and India Reserved Battalion to tackle the situation.”

Protest nerve centres
Rico Auto Industries
Sona Koyo Steering Systems
Hero Honda Motors
Bajaj Motors’ (Narsingpur plant)
Lumax Industries