Non-Permanent workers of Maruti Suzuki hold demonstration at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, to press their demands and submit thousands of letters addressed to the Prime Minister seeking his intervention.
Groundxero | March 19, 2025
Non-permanent workers from various Maruti Suzuki plants, under the banner of Maruti Suzuki Asthayi Mazdoor Sangh, gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi today to raise their demands, which include demand for permanent jobs and equal pay for equal work, among others.
In last one month, more than five thousand workers wrote individual letters to the Prime Minister of India detailing their conditions and demands. These letters, along with a memorandum from Maruti Suzuki Asthayi Mazdoor Sangh, were submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office at Raisina Hill. In addition to Maruti Suzuki workers, representatives from various workers’ organizations, democratic organizations, and progressive individuals participated in the demonstration, including representatives from Bellsonica union, Daikin Union, IMK, IFTU, IFTU (Sarwahara), CSTU, Shramik Sangram Committee, Mazdoor Ekta Committee, Mazdoor Patrika, KNS, PSYA, Collective etc.
Copy of the memorandum from Maruti Suzuki Asthayi Mazdoor Sangh submitted to the PMO
The struggle of non-permanent workers at Maruti Suzuki has intensified since the beginning of January this year. On 5th January, more than three thousand non-permanent (contract, trainee, apprentice, TW, CW, MST etc.) workers formed the “Maruti Suzuki Asthayi Mazdoor Sangh” during a general body meeting in Gurgaon and prepared a Charter of Demands. Many workers had travelled overnight to reach the venue from Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Orissa and other states. These workers have all served in various temporary capacities at the three plants of the automobile manufacturer in Gurgaon-Manesar. On 10th January, over five thousand workers gathered at the DC office in Gurgaon to submit their Charter of Demands to the labour department challenging the illegal labour practices of the company. The Charter of Demands was also submitted to the company management on January 9.
Maruti Suzuki Asthayi Mazdoor Sangh issued a “Manesar Chalo” call and planned a demonstration at Manesar tehsil on 30th January, where several thousands non-permanent workers, who are working or have worked in Maruti plants, were to join the program demanding permanent jobs, valid certificate of training, salary increase and equal pay for equal nature of works. However, the Gurgaon administration imposed Section 144 (Sec. 168 of BNS) and prohibited any gathering of workers in Manesar. Manesar police coming in large number picked up around 100 Maruti workers from their dharna site continuing since 18 September 2024. The tents, placards and other stuffs at the dharna site were demolished.
On 31st January, the workers gathered at the DC office for a tripartite meeting regarding the Charter of Demands. But, citing Section 144, the police continued their repression, detaining many workers and preventing them from gathering anywhere in Gurgaon. This clearly demonstrates how the police and administration repress peaceful worker programs in the interest of foreign capitalists like Suzuki.
Since then, the administration has not allowed any peaceful gatherings of workers anywhere in Gurgaon and Manesar. The workers are combating these repressive measures legally and, on the ground, and are preparing to intensify their struggle to achieve their just demands.
Protests by various workers’ organizations in solidarity with Maruti workers have taken place in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and other locations.
Presently Maruti Suzuki employees 36,000 workers across its four plants, out of which a mere 17% are permanent and the rest are divided into various categories which include Temporary Workers 1 and 2, Casual Workers, Apprentices, Contract Workers and Student Trainees. The entire production of the plants is dependent on this temporary workforce, whereas the role of permanent workers has been limited to supervisory roles at best. There exists a huge pay gap between permanent and temporary workers. Temporary workers are recruited for a mere seven months at a time. Student trainees form another significant category of the workforce who are engaged in full production in the name of apprenticeship and ITI education, only to leave the plant after two-three years with a certificate that has no currency in the labour market. The new Kharkhoda plant in Sonepat, Haryana—set to be the largest automobile production unit in the world—has not hired any non-permanent workers who have work experience in the other Maruti Suzuki plants. Maruti Suzuki Asthayi Mazdoor Sangh is demanding permanent jobs at the Kharkhoda plant and other Maruti Suzuki plants for different categories of non-permanent workers who have worked at Maruti Suzuki in the past.
In today’s program, in addition to committee members of Maruti Suzuki Asthayi Mazdoor Sangh, many workers raised their voices to strengthen their resolve to carry forward the struggle and their organization in the days to come. Apart from their demands, the workers also spoke against the anti-worker new labour codes and called for larger unity to advance the struggle.
There is a court date in the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the workers’ rights to hold peaceful dharna and rally at Manesar. There is also a tripartite meeting at Gurgaon labour court on the Charter of Demands submitted by Maruti Suzuki Asthayi Mazdoor Sangh. Maruti Suzuki Asthayi Mazdoor Sangh will declare future programs after 26th March. The struggle will continue till the demands are met!