Manesar:
A day after violent clashes broke out between workers and the management at the Maruti plant in Manesar in Haryana, the police have arrested 99 people in connection with the case. One person was killed and over 85 were injured in the violence that has forced India's largest carmaker to stop production at the plant.
Both parties have blamed each other for the incident. The management alleges that some senior officials of the company were severely beaten up by the workers. But, the workers have contested that claim, alleging instead that a supervisor made a "casteist" remark against a Dalit worker.
"The management has given some names of union leaders. An FIR has been lodged against around 60 workers," Manesar Om Prakash, Station House Officer (SHO), said. A case under sections of murder, attempt to murder, causing grievous injuries and damage to properties and other different sections of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the workers, he added.
Sources have told NDTV that the trouble apparently began after the supervisor got into an altercation with a junior worker during which the latter allegedly slapped him.
"Sir we were caught unawares. Suddenly, a lot of people came running and held me and started beating me. They beat me with rods, machine components, or whatever they could lay their hands on. They were beating me like one would beat animals. We ran and somehow saved our lives. We managed to jump the wall and reached the hospital," SA Siddiqui, the supervisor, told NDTV.
Sources say that the management, as a disciplinary action, decided to suspend the worker. This reportedly triggered protests from the other workers. While the management was meeting in the conference room to decide on the next move, sources add that the workers stormed in and a scuffle ensued.
At around the same time in the evening, a section of the workers set five places in the factory on fire, including the control room and the assembly line. A charred body was later recovered from the site of the violence, something that was later confirmed by the police. "One person died of burn injuries in the incident," Gurgaon Police Commissioner K K Sindhu said.
The company had, in a statement issued on Wednesday evening, alleged that the workers "set fire to property and damaged facilities", adding that "at least 40 managers and executives" were injured, and were "rushed to hospital." It also claimed that as part of their protest, the workers prevented all executives and managers from leaving the factory after working hours. They blocked the exit gates and held the executives hostage, it said.
The workers though had a different story to tell. They allege that the supervisor made a "casteist" remark against a Dalit worker. "When we opposed it, they misbehaved with us and suspended the worker," said Sarabjeet Singh, General Secretary of the Maruit Suzuki Workers' Union (MSWU).
Labour unrest is not a new phenomenon at Maruti's Manesar plant which mainly produces the 'Swift' at the unit. The factory had witnessed three such instances last year causing a total production loss of about 83,000 units.
Both parties have blamed each other for the incident. The management alleges that some senior officials of the company were severely beaten up by the workers. But, the workers have contested that claim, alleging instead that a supervisor made a "casteist" remark against a Dalit worker.
"The management has given some names of union leaders. An FIR has been lodged against around 60 workers," Manesar Om Prakash, Station House Officer (SHO), said. A case under sections of murder, attempt to murder, causing grievous injuries and damage to properties and other different sections of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the workers, he added.
Sources have told NDTV that the trouble apparently began after the supervisor got into an altercation with a junior worker during which the latter allegedly slapped him.
"Sir we were caught unawares. Suddenly, a lot of people came running and held me and started beating me. They beat me with rods, machine components, or whatever they could lay their hands on. They were beating me like one would beat animals. We ran and somehow saved our lives. We managed to jump the wall and reached the hospital," SA Siddiqui, the supervisor, told NDTV.
Sources say that the management, as a disciplinary action, decided to suspend the worker. This reportedly triggered protests from the other workers. While the management was meeting in the conference room to decide on the next move, sources add that the workers stormed in and a scuffle ensued.
At around the same time in the evening, a section of the workers set five places in the factory on fire, including the control room and the assembly line. A charred body was later recovered from the site of the violence, something that was later confirmed by the police. "One person died of burn injuries in the incident," Gurgaon Police Commissioner K K Sindhu said.
The company had, in a statement issued on Wednesday evening, alleged that the workers "set fire to property and damaged facilities", adding that "at least 40 managers and executives" were injured, and were "rushed to hospital." It also claimed that as part of their protest, the workers prevented all executives and managers from leaving the factory after working hours. They blocked the exit gates and held the executives hostage, it said.
The workers though had a different story to tell. They allege that the supervisor made a "casteist" remark against a Dalit worker. "When we opposed it, they misbehaved with us and suspended the worker," said Sarabjeet Singh, General Secretary of the Maruit Suzuki Workers' Union (MSWU).
Labour unrest is not a new phenomenon at Maruti's Manesar plant which mainly produces the 'Swift' at the unit. The factory had witnessed three such instances last year causing a total production loss of about 83,000 units.
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