End State Repression on the Struggling Workers!
The violent and oppressive actions of the police against the peacefully protesting workers by enforcing Sec 144 on the evening of January 29th around Manesar Tehsil is an onslaught on the workers rights and democratic rights of all citizens. Workers coming on the morning of January 30th to protest against the oppressive practice of temporary and contract policy of the Maruti administration, were detained and subjected to physical brutality. This, despite the court order recognizing the workers right to protest peacefully 500 m away from the plant premises. We vehemently condemn such oppressive action of the state-police strong-arming to silence the dissent against exploitation.
These actions are a grim reminder of the extents to which the state and corporate powers can go to protect their interests at the cost of blood of the working class. We demand an immediate end to police brutality and call for accountability of such injustice.
We recognize that the struggle for the interests of the students and youth is interconnected with the struggles of the working class. We emphasize that the ITI-technicians going through apprenticeship programs are students from the working class and are going to be future workers. Hence it is time for us to pursue and actively engage in the struggle for the economic, social and political interests of the working class to challenge and dismantle current oppressive system.
We, the members of Revolutionary Student Youth Campaign (RSYC), stand in unwavering solidarity with the Maruti Suzuki workers who are courageously fighting for the guarantee of permanent jobs, equal pay, and the right to organize in union without fear of retaliation.
The fight for fair labour practices at the IMT Manesar Maruti Suzuki Plant has been an ongoing struggle since 2011 for the primary demands:
- To rehire the workers who were terminated without any evidence, who were arrested and then later acquitted following the death of an HR employee in 2012.
- To provide jobs of permanent nature and equal pay for equal work.
- Justice for several lakh temporary workers (TW) and trainees (MST) who were promised proper skilling and ITI-equivalent certificate but were left with no skill or certificate recognized in the industry and are doomed to be unemployed.
Friends, the recent spate of attacks on the Maruti workers are warning us of the regressive and draconian times we are living in when any democratic expression of rational and lawful demands is being met with the brute power of the state – a loyal representative of the forces of capital and the common enemy of the working class as well as the dynamic masses of students and youth. Precisely, therefore, we urge the students and youth, to step up and recognise the dual attacks perpetrated by the state upon them in the interest of the Bourgeoisie class – directly and actively through commodified-privatised education system and indirectly, by exposing them to precarious contractual nature of jobs in the future. Hence, the students, in their capacity as students as well as future workers must rise to the cause and unite to fight against the oppressive state acting on behalf of the Bourgeoisie class. In the same vein, we also call each and every students’ and youth organizations to stand in cementing solidarity with the brave struggle of the Maruti workers, in any capacity they can, by organizing protests, awareness campaigns, marches and demonstrations
In solidarity!
Revolutionary Students Youth Campaign (RSYC)
