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CREATED:20170331T233900Z
DESCRIPTION:International Solidarity Day of Action For Maruti Suzuki Workers - Free The 
 13 Jailed Maruti Suzuki Workers\n\nWednesday April 4, 2017 11:00 AM \n540 
 Arguello Blvd/Geary \nSan Francisco \n\nSponsored jointly by the United 
 Public Workers For Action UPWA and U.S. Supporters of the \nInternational 
 Workers Committee Against War and Exploitation, For a Workers' 
 International. \nFor more information, contact: \n415-641-4440 or 
 415-216-5346 \n\n\nAppeal to Observe 4th/5th April as All-India & 
 International Day of Protest: Free the Maruti Workers! 
 \nhttps://marutisuzukiworkersunion.wordpress.com/2017/03/29/appeal-to-observe-4th5th-april-as-all-india-international-day-of-protest-free-the-maruti-workers/ 
 \nMARCH 29, 2017 \nComrades, \n\nYou 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. 
 \n\nThe 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. \n\nBut 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. \n\nOn 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. \n\nThe 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. 
 \n\nProvisional Working Committee, \n\nMaruti Suzuki Workers Union 
 \n\nContact: 7011865350 (Ramniwas), 9911258717 (Khusiram) on behalf of the 
 PWC, MSWU. \n\nEmail: marutiworkerstruggle [at] gmail.com \n\n\nMESSAGE 
 FROM MARUTI SUZUKI WORKERS UNION: \n13 Workers Get "Life Sentence" 
 \n\nFrom: marutiworkerstruggle(at)gmail.com \nDate: Sun, Mar 19, 2017 at 
 5:26 AM \n13 Maruti Union members given 'Life Sentence' for Struggling for 
 Union Formation \n& Abolition of the Contract Worker System \nFree the 
 Maruti Workers! \n\nThirteen 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. Four workers were given 5 year sentences. 
 Fourteen workers were given 3 years, but they 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, and 2500 workers 
 were earlier illegally terminated and then faced continual State 
 repression. \n\nWe 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. \n\nThe 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. 
 \n\nBy 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. \n\nThe 
 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. 
 \n\nMaruti Suzuki CEO RC Bhargava has said this is a 'class war'. And what 
 the government 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. \n\nWe 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. \n\nOn 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. \n\n23 March 
 ko Chalo Manesar! \n\nFree the Maruti Workers! \nEnd the Regime of 
 Exploitation-Repression in the Industrial belts. \n\nProvisional Working 
 Committee, \nMaruti Suzuki Workers Union \n18 March 2017 \n\nContact: 
 7011865350 (Ramniwas), 9911258717 (Khusiram) on behalf of the PWC, MSWU. 
 \nEmail: marutiworkerstruggle(at)gmail.com \nSee: 
 marutisuzukiworkersunion.wordpress.com for updates\nFor more event 
 information:\nhttp://marutisuzukiworkersunion.wordpress.com\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2017/03/31/18797881.php
SUMMARY:Day of Action for Maruti Suzuki Workers
LOCATION:India Consulate San Francisco\n540 Arguello Blvd/Geary \nSan Francisco 
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2017/03/31/18797881.php
DTSTART:20170405T180000Z
DTEND:20170405T190000Z
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