Sun Nov 17 13:09:15 UTC 2024: ## Maruti Suzuki Workers Continue 12-Year Fight for Reinstatement

**MANESAR, Haryana, November 17, 2024** – Over 350 former Maruti Suzuki employees are staging an indefinite sit-in protest in Manesar, Haryana, demanding reinstatement after being terminated following labor unrest in July 2012. The workers, who were permanent employees at the time, claim they were unjustly dismissed without a proper internal investigation, despite not facing criminal charges related to the violence that resulted in the death of a human resources manager and injuries to 90 executives.

The protest, which began on September 18th, is located near the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation office, after the workers allege they were denied permission to protest closer to the Maruti Suzuki plant. They are pursuing legal action in the Gurugram Labour Court, a battle that has spanned eight years.

While a 2017 Gurugram trial court convicted 31 individuals involved in the 2012 violence, the terminated workers claim that over 400 permanent employees, including themselves, were not implicated in any FIRs or police challans yet were still dismissed. The workers contend that Maruti Suzuki’s actions constitute a grave violation of labor laws.

The former employees, many of whom have struggled to find comparable employment due to the stigma of their termination, describe their current circumstances as dire. They report having taken on various low-paying jobs, including daily wage labor and driving. One worker, Om Prakash, stated that he earned ₹15,000 per month as a driver, a far cry from the ₹1.3 lakh he estimated he would be making had he remained with Maruti.

The protest has garnered support from some individuals outside the immediate group, with donations of food and money received from former colleagues and even workers at competing automotive plants. Noted human rights lawyer Nandita Haksar has also voiced her support for the workers’ cause, highlighting the issue of unequal pay between permanent and contract workers.

Maruti Suzuki, while declining to comment due to the ongoing legal proceedings, maintains that the workers’ terminations were not dismissals based on misconduct. The workers, however, remain steadfast in their demand for reinstatement and an end to what they call an injustice. Their fight underscores the larger issue of worker rights and the prevalence of contract labor in India’s automotive industry.

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