Protest in Maruti Suzuki Plant at Manesar Highlights Plight of Contract Workers in Automobile Sector

Published : Feb 03, 2025 21:35 IST - 9 MINS READ It was intended to be a peaceful protest on January 30, Gandhi Jayanti—a sort of culmination of a four-month-long relay agitation by a section of former and current workers of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. against the carmaker’s alleged illegal and unethical labour practices. The management had earlier sought an injunction from the district court to “restrain” the protesters within 500 metres of the boundary wall of its three plants in Gurugram district: specifically, to prevent the workers from holding the meeting outside the company premises on January 30 and 31. As contract workers formed the bulk of the company’s workforce and were most susceptible to getting fired, they formed the Maruti Suzuki Asthayi Mazdoor Sangh on January 10. Reflecting on the events that led up to the incident in 2012, Khushi Ram said that there was worker unrest on many grounds: not letting workers form an independent union, the differential categorisation of skilled workers to deny pay parity, and the hiring of contract workers in large numbers. Among the former contract workers, Khushi Ram said there was not a single person who was earning more than Rs.15,000 in the automobile sector.