On 20th June 2019, a Ford India worker in Sanand, Gujarat was sacked. In the last year, the workers of Ford formed an organization called Karmavati Kamdar Ekta Sangh (KKES). The organization consists of nine hundred workers to put forward their very own demands. The sacked worker is a member of this worker’s body. The worker said that he had been sacked without any legal evidence. Around thousand of workers had entered an indefinite strike to protest against this incidence on 21st June. They demanded the reappointment of the sacked worker immediately. Nine hundred workers walked off the job for six days (21-27 June), demanding two rounds:-
1)The company has to stop the conspiracy of KKES constituting workers and reappoint the sacked worker promptly.
2)Ford Motors has to pay the full wages of the walked off days.
Eventually, Ford management feels the pressure of the movement and refers the case to the industrial tribunal. A member of KKES tells the correspondent of ‘Ei Muhurte’, they are demanding the reappointment of the discharged worker, especially and wages of walking off days is a secondary purpose. If Ford Motors does not allow the sacked worker, the rest of the workers of this organization do not hesitate to walk off again. The member commented that Ford has to appoint the worker who was sacked on a false lawsuit immediately.
The fighting workers were on hunger strike demanding increment of the salary. They boycotted all the foods and drinks given by the management for longer than three weeks in February. Sanand workers get the lowest wages amongst these automobile industries (Average monthly salary is around ten thousand rupees). Some of them have working experience of 9-10 years. But wages are not keeping up accordingly. On the other hand, Chennai Ford workers receive many times the salary their Gujarat counterparts receive. This exploitation of workers is daily indignity. The proceeding workers of Sanand Ford united to protect their rights and various demands through KKES in the last year. The sacked labour accuse the management of the conspiracy to ruin the endeavour.
Abu Sufian Mondal is currently pursuing his BA Comparative Literature degree from Jadavpur University. He can be reached at – sufianabu@protonmail.com
Kamalesh Roy : Co-ordinator at Pathshala, an evening school initiative by Refraction Magazine based in Kolkata. If any comment- tojohn@tuta.io
