Eleven central trade unions, including Congress-backed INTUC and BJP-backed BMS, have flayed the Haryana Government for deploying heavy police force at the Maruti Suzuki plant premises at Manesar on the request of the management.
“This has never happened in the history of India….Instead of probing the circumstances leading to such an explosive situation, the police are busy serving the interests of corporates,” said a joint release issued here on Wednesday.
Terming the July 18 violence in the plant as “unfortunate”, the unions demanded a judicial probe to find out who was responsible for these actions.
Protesting against the sacking of 500 workers, some of whom are permanent, without any charge-sheet or inquiry, the unions demanded the immediate release of 154 workers, who had been arrested.
Interestingly, the Labour Minister, in his reply to a question by D. Raja (CPI) on the issue in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, did not even mention the sacking of 500 workers.
“It has been reported by the State Government of Haryana that the management of Maruti Suzuki have lifted the lockout on August 21. The workers have joined duty and work at the plant has resumed partially,” he said.