6 August, 2009Demanding the payment of previously agreed wage rises and equal pay for equal work, precarious workers, trainees and permanent employees are taking united action at Bosch and Brembo plants in Pune, India.
INDIA: Workers at a Bosch plant in Pune, India went on strike on July 18, their demands include equal pay for equal work. Significantly, precariously employed workers, trainees and permanent workers are in unity in the fight, which is being lead by the Bosch Chassis Systems Kamgar Sanghatana (Employees Union) and supported by IMF affiliates in the region.
The union was established after Bosch Chassis Systems took over the plant in 2006. The plant consisted of two units producing four wheeler and two wheeler brake systems respectively. A collective agreement between the union and Bosch was entered on November 3, 2007 lasting until 2010. At the time Bosch informed the union that the two wheeler brake unit was being handed over to Brembo, an Italian company, and that 50 workers were to transfer to the new company.
The workers protested and signed the agreement with Bosch and Brembo only after a clause was included stating that, in the event of closure or relocation of Brembo, the transferred workers would be reemployed by Bosch. In addition to this the collective agreement gave an average wage rise of around 60 per cent and stipulated rises for each year of the agreement.
The union served a notice of "stoppage of work" after both companies failed to implement wage rises, Brembo in 2008 and 2009 and Bosch in 2009, and following the suspension of the union's General Secretary Mr. Pradip Thakare.
The union is also protesting the huge disparity in pay between precariously employed workers and regular workers, with precarious workers earning only 25 to 30 per cent of the wages earned by regular workers.
Instead of negotiating with the union, company management lodged a complaint against the union with the local Industrial Tribunal. However after hearing both sides, the Tribunal has ruled that the strike is not illegal.
"The success of the struggle will have far reaching benefits, as regards, wages, working and service conditions of precarious workers and trainees, not only for Bosch, but, the entire Pune industrial landscape," said IMF Regional Representative Sudharshan Rao Sarde.
"All the unions in the area want this struggle to succeed, as this will strengthen their effort to tackle the widespread use of precarious workers by the companies, which is weakening the collective bargaining capacity of unions," explained Rao.