ICLR Calls Upon Indian Government to Respect the Labor and Human Rights of Maruti Suzuki Workers

A fact-finding delegation convened by the International Convention for Labor Rights today released an authoritative report entitled, “Merchants of Menace: Repressing workers in India's new industrial belt, Violations of workers' and trade union rights at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.,” which finds that Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., and the government and police of the state of Haryana violated the rights of Maruti Suzuki workers at the Manesar facility as well as the rights of their family members and supporters.

The delegation called for, among other things, the:
• Immediate release of the 147 MSIL workers currently detained in Bhondsi Jail (Gurgaon), as well as of the 11 detained at Kaithal Jail. 
• A public commitment by the Haryana state police to cease and desist from the arbitrary arrests of workers seeking to defend their occupational interests. The police must also end the harassment of workers and their families.
• The constitution of an independent and impartial judicial inquiry to investigate the full scope of events that led up to the industrial violence on 18 July 2012, as well as subsequent events, including but not limited to the torture of workers in detention/or under arrest.
• The full reinstatement of all workers who were at MSIL-Manesar as of 17 July 2012, whether permanent or precarious workers.

The delegation, which included labor lawyers and labor rights experts from the U.S., Japan, France, South Africa and India, met with workers and their families, civil society organizations including trade unions, the public authorities, and industry associations. Maruti Suzuki, however, refused a meeting in spite of multiple requests.

The President of the ICLR, international lawyer, Jeanne Mirer, said, “The government of India must ensure that the state of Haryana, as well as Maruti Suzuki, respect internationally-recognized labor and human rights. These include guarantees regarding the freedom of association and collective bargaining, under ILO Conventions 87 and 98 and core civil rights – of speech, of protest, of freedom from arbitrary detention and from torture – protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

To read the entire report, click here.