JNS (IMT Manesar) Workers’ Struggle, Repression, and Lessons
May 30, 2022Statement Issued By MASA Against Police Repression On JNS Struggle
Long live the brave struggle of the workers of JNS (IMT Manesar)!
Raise your voice against the barbaric police repression, arrests and cases against the workers!
Date: 31st March 2022
About 450 workers (mostly women) in JNS Instruments Ltd., located at IMT Manesar (Plot 4, Sector 3), Haryana which employees about 1500 workers in 3-4 shifts and manufactures automobile speedometers, auto meters, etc., were staging a sit-in protest outside the company since 3rd March 2022.
The protest started when 7 leading women workers were handed transfer orders by the Management as victimization for taking the initiative to form a union. However, the management, with the help of police and goons, was successful in removing the protesting workers from just outside the company. Along with this, women workers were harassed and attempts were made to even tear off their clothes. In protest against this episode, other expelled workers also joined the struggle whose number gradually increased to about 450, and their sit-in protest continued about 250 meters from the company gate.
On the second day of the nationwide strike on 29th March, all the struggling workers sat in front of the JNS factory gates blocking all three of them since morning. In support, 40 struggling workers of Hyundai Mobis (Dharuhera) reached there and took out a powerful solidarity march. Along with this, workers’ union representatives of Bellsonica, Munjal Showa, FMI, Napino, Suzuki, and Maruti Suzuki Mazdoor Sangh (MSMS) of Manesar also reached there in support. Activists of IFTU (Sarwahara), Inqlabi Mazdoor Kendra (IMK), AICWU and HMS were also present there. The militant attitude of workers and overwhelming support to their struggle compelled the management to initiate negotiation process with them. A 15-member delegation of workers went inside for the negotiation meeting, however in the meeting, the management flatly refused to take back any of the permanent workers, and the negotiations failed.
After this, when all the workers came out, the police suddenly started barbaric lathi-charge on all the workers and brutally manhandled and shoved about 150 women workers into buses. IMK activists Yogesh and Harish and AICWU activist Sham were also forcibly detained. Along with this, the workers standing nearby along with the general public, who were taking photo/videos of the incident, were also manhandled and lathi-charged by the police.
All the workers and activists were brought to Manesar Sector-7 Police Station. Only by 12 o’clock in the night, all the women workers were released after threatening them and compelling them to sign some papers. But 4 (male) workers and the 3 activists (Yogesh, Harish and Sham) were kept in the police station overnight. On the next morning (30th March), after significant effort, information was received that all 7 of them were in the lockup of Manesar Sector-2 Police Station. From there they were brought to Manesar DCP office, Naurangpur where, after about 6 hours, all were released on completion of the bail process. Activists and Workers of IMK, IFTU (Sarwahara), Mazdoor Sahyog Kendra, AICWU, Bellsonica Union, Maruti Suzuki Mazdoor Sangh, Munjal Showa Union and AITUC were present at the DCP Office for the release/bail process.
2 FIRs have been registered against the workers by the police. One FIR (Section 147, 149, 188, 341, 506) is for obstructing production by blocking the company gate, in which 23 workers are named. Another FIR contains more serious charges (Sections 120-B, 148, 149, 307, 427, 436) i.e. for inciting riots in which 8 workers are named.
| JNS Struggle: Outcome and the Way ForwardS. Raj |
Mazdoor Adhikar Sangharsh Abhiyan (MASA) offers revolutionary salutes to the valiant struggle of the workers of JNS, and also strongly condemns the unjust arrests and brutality by the police against the workers and working-class activists and, the anti-worker attitude of the management. MASA demands that all the cases against the workers and activists be quashed immediately and action be taken against the management and the police personnel responsible for such barbarism. Oppression and repression on workers be stopped and all the struggling workers of JNS be reinstated with full back wages! In conclusion, MASA calls upon all the pro working-class and pro-people individuals and organizations to raise their voices in solidarity with the struggle of JNS workers.
Coordination Committee,
Mazdoor Adhikar Sangharsh Abhiyan (MASA)
Constituent organizations, unions and federations of MASA:
All India Workers Council / Grameen Mazdoor Union, Bihar / Indian Center of Trade Unions / Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) / IFTU Sarwahara / Inqlabi Mazdoor Kendra (IMK) / IMK Punjab / Jan Sangharsh Manch Haryana / Karnataka Shramik Shakti / Lal Jhanda Mazdoor Union (Samanvay Samiti) / Mazdoor Sahayata Samiti / Mazdoor Sahyog Kendra / Mazdoor Samanvay Kendra / Socialist Workers Center, Tamil Nadu / Struggling Workers Coordination Committee (SWCC), West Bengal / Trade Union Center of India (TUCI)