21 June, 2010Union members at the Hyundai plant in Chennai, India continue their struggle for recognition by management and for the reinstatement of workers that were dismissed following the establishment of the Hyundai Motor India Employees' Union in early 2007.
INDIA: 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 32 workers that were dismissed following the formation of the Hyundai Motor India Employees' Union (HMIEU) at the plant in 2007.
This tri-partite committee is expected to make decisions in the next few weeks on the status of 32 workers that were dismissed by Hyundai management after the union was established in 2007.
Within 10 months of HMIEU being formed in early 2007, Hyundai Motors dismissed a total of 87 union members, starting with the union president and general secretary. From April 22 to May 7, 2009 the union went on strike demanding recognition of the union and reinstatement of the dismissed workers. The government told the company that it had to recognise HMIEU.
The workers went on strike for a second time on July 23, 2009 after the company settled a wage agreement with an internal workers' committee and not HMIEU, the officially registered union. Once again the government intervened and demanded the company bargain with the union and also reinstate 20 of the dismissed workers.
Subsequently the government reviewed the cases for the remaining 67 dismissed workers and recommended that the company reemploy 35 of the workers for humanitarian reasons. In response the company offered a 1.5 million rupee settlement to the 35 workers, three of whom took up the offer.
When the company still refused to reemploy the remaining 32 workers as recommended by the labour ministry, the workers went on strike for the third time on June 6 to 9, 2010. During the strike 217 workers were arrested and detained. The union has secured the release of all workers and their return to work, however the workers still face criminal charges.
The HMIEU is also pursuing legal remedy for the other 32 workers from the 67 dismissed not recommended for reemployment by the labour ministry.
There are 1,650 permanent workers and 7,000 precariously employed workers (apprentice, contract, subcontracted or casual workers) at the Hyundai plant in Chennai, India. HMIEU is affiliated to the Central Indian Trade Union (CITU) and is not an IMF affiliate. Nevertheless the IMF and its affiliates have given solidarity support to the Indian Hyundai workers in their struggle and continue to monitor the situation.