Lessons from the Maruti strike – a victory for the workers, reads a banner announcing the theme of a speech at a gathering organised by a trade union at a wedding hall in Poonamallee, a small town about 25 km to the west of Chennai.
On the Sunday morning, the hall is packed with about 300-400 listeners as a speaker vehemently makes his point.
On the terrace at the same venue, at the second floor level, there is possibly a lesson in the making for all the stake holders of Hyundai Motor India, the second largest car manufacturer in India, with its factory at Sriperumbudur, a 10-km drive to the west.
A CITU leader is holding discussions with the 50-member executive committee of the Hyundai Motor India Employees Union, which has for a few years now been fighting for management recognition as a representative of the workers at the factory, which churns out over 6 lakh cars every year.
For over a week now, according to the union representatives, workers have been boycotting the canteen facilities to protest the management hiking workloads. Also, they are demanding that the union be recognised as the representative of the 1,500-strong permanent workforce at the factory where, including workers on contract, over 10,000 people are employed.
Mr A. Soundararajan, the CITU leader and Honorary President of the union said the workers are fighting for legitimate representation and for the 20 workers who had been dismissed during the course of earlier agitations to be taken back. The ongoing show of protest will intensify and culminate in a strike if no solution is found.
Wage settlement is due next year and the workers need to have a proper representation. The management has recognised the “United Union of Hyundai Employees” and says it represents the majority of the workers.
The CITU union refutes this claim and is open to the idea of a secret ballot to prove its majority, he said.
The CITU union has been representing the workers for four years now, he said. Showing documents procured through the Right To Information Act from the State Government Labour Department, the representatives pointed out that the UUHE was registered on March 8, 2011, following an application on March 2. At that time it had a membership of 193.
It is up to the Government to intervene on the behalf of the workers to ensure a peaceful conciliation, Mr Soundararajan said.
Proper union representation is something that has been vexing the workers in the industrial units in the region which has become the hub of multinational automobile, auto components, electronic and telecom hardware companies, said the union representatives.