23 September, 2010Dismissed Hyundai workers in Chennai await decision on reinstatement again. Earlier a global meeting of Hyundai/Kia trade union representatives met to strengthen the global trade union network.
INDIA/SLOVAKIA: The Tamil Nadu government in India has deferred a decision on reinstatement of 35 dismissed workers of Hyundai Motor India Ltd for the fourth time, despite promising a decision on September 20, 2010.
After a four day strike at Hyundai Motors in Chennai, India from June 6 to 9, 2010, a tri-partite committee consisting of two representatives from the union, company management and the labour ministry was established to review and decide on the case for reinstatement of the workers that were dismissed following the formation of the Hyundai Motor India Employees' Union (HMIEU), which is affiliated to CITU, at the plant in 2007.
While the representatives of HMIEU and the company have submitted their arguments on the reinstatement, the labour commissioner officials have to give their recommendation, which is binding on both the parties.
The ongoing dispute at the Chennai plant was one of the subjects discussed at a second IMF Hyundai/Kia global union network meeting held in Bratislava, Slovakia from September 14 to 16, 2010.
Participants at the meeting came from trade unions representing Hyundai/Kia workers in Korea, the home country of the company, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, India, Turkey, Germany and the U.S.
After a detailed report by the Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU) representatives on the company, including issues of employment, precarious work and unionization, each of the other delegates reported about the situation in their country.
The main focus of the meeting was to strengthen the global network of trade union representatives in the company and to make sure that a good working information system will be installed. Participants at the meeting decided:
- To do a survey to collect and distribute all the necessary information and trial the agreed communication system,
- That until a key coordinator is identified from Korea, Helmut Lense, the director of the IMF Automotive Department will organise the information exchange, and
- To name a "contact person" from each country who will be responsible for maintaining contact with the network and collecting and distributing information and demands at the national level.
At the meeting a decision to explore establishing a European Works Council within Hyundai/Kia was also taken. The Slovak contact person was assigned to research and report on the first steps in consultation with the European Metalworkers' Federation.
The meeting was hosted by OZ KOVO, the Slovak union which organised the Kia plant in Slovakia. On the final day of the meeting, all the delegates visited The Kia plant in Zilina, Slovakia.