New Delhi, June 1: Centre of Indian Trade Unions strongly condemns the brutal lathicharge , arrest and detention of more than four hundred workers including 35 women of the M/s AISIN Automative Ltd located at Rohatak, Haryana. Besides the workers the leaders of various mass organizations who joined the struggling workers in solidarity were also arrested on 31 may 2017. CITU warns the BJP led Haryana Government that it has to face the united strength of the toiling people if it is trying to repeat ‘Honda’ or’ Maruti’ in Aisin or elsewhere in the state.

Aisin Automative Ltd is a Japanese Automative Company employing nearly 800 workers including women in IMT, Rohtak. The workers took initiative to form trade union and submitted application in the state labour department. But the labour department of the BJP led Government in Haryana rejected the application without showing any reason and almost simultaneously, on 3rd May 2017, the management of AISIN Automotive terminated service of the 20 leading workers including four women without notice and showing any reason. When other workers enmasse protested such autocratic termination of their leaders, rest of the 700 workers were also sent out of the factory, directing them to join work only after giving a written undertaking not to join any union. Whatever happened in Maruti a couple of years ago, same thing has been repeated by the Japanese employer with the support of the Haryana Government as its subordinate.

Since then the workers have been sitting in peaceful dharna before the factory gate in protest. In the scorching heat they are sitting directly under the Sun, which caused hospitalization of many employees, but it could not weaken the fighting spirit. CITU and many mass organisations and trade unions extended support to the workers. Assistant labour Commissioner called for negotiation three times but there was no outcome. On 23 May, a massive rally was held in support of the workers in Rohtak.

On 31 May, while workers were sitting peacefully in dharna before the factory gate, a large police force arrived at the spot and started brutal lathicharge on the workers injuring many. In the face of workers staying there facing the lathicharge, police resorted to mass scale arrests. 425 were arrested including CITU State leader Vinod, Youth leader Sandip and AIDWA leader Asha. They were charged with various section of IPC, produced before the magistrate at midnight and were detained for two weeks.

This is yet another example as to how the BJP Government at Haryana, taking oath in the name of constitution trampled under feet their basic constitutional responsibility and promoted violation of laws of the land in most obedient service of the Japanese multinational; denying registration of the trade union is a serious offence committed by the Government; terminating service of workers only for making effort to form trade union under Trade Union Act and insisting others to give undertaking on not to join trade union is also a grave offence committed by the employer; instead of taking action against the offending employer brutally beating the terminated workers sitting in a peaceful dharna under the scorching sun by Police is also a criminal offence.

CITU condemns these offenders of Indian Constitution –the BJP Government in loyal service of Japanese employers and calls upon trade union movement and workers in general to extend support to the struggle of the AISIN workers and hold solidarity action statewide. The BJP Government-employer nexus holding lives of the common people to ransom must be defeated and struggle must go on.

CITU demands immediate release of all workers and their leaders, unconditional reinstatement of all terminated workers, immediate grant of registration of workers’ union and sorting out of the issues raised by the workers through bilateral talks