SIAM and ACMA condemn violence at Maruti’s Manesar plant

July 20, 2012: Apex industry bodies SIAM and ACMA have come down heavily on the violence that took place in Maruti Suzuki India’s Manesar plant on July 18. In a statement, SIAM president S Sandilya condemned the totally unprovoked and barbaric act of violence and called upon the State and Central governments to take stringent action against the guilty.

The incident, wherein a general manager in Maruti Suzuki India’s HR department was killed and around 100 employees including two Japanese nationals were injured, is easily the worst in industrial relations in the Indian automotive industry since 2009, when the vice-president of Coimbatore-based Pricol Industries was killed in an outburst of workers' anger. A year before, on September 22, 2008, the managing director of the Noida-based Graziano Trasmissioni India was beaten to death after a group of sacked employees turned violent.

Maruti Suzuki’s press statement, issued late yesterday, says that “the office facilities have been burnt beyond repair, as have the main gate, security office and the fire safety section. It is an orchestrated act of mob violence.”

“Industry cannot accept such acts of violence, no matter what the grievances are. All IR issues have to be sorted out only through mutual discussion. We understand from Maruti that the way the violence was carried out, it was premeditated and a planned act of violence which cannot be tolerated,” said Sandilya.

He added said that such acts of violence sully the image of India as a manufacturing base, as an investment destination, and destroy years of efforts made by government as well as industry to nurture industrial development in the country, which cannot be allowed to happen.

Mr Sandilya has appealed to the workers of Maruti Suzuki not to resort to violence but to resolve issues through mutual discussions. And, on behalf of the entire automotive community, he also conveyed condolences to the families of the dead and injured executives of Maruti.

Expressing serious concern over the incident, Arvind Kapur, president of the Automotive Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), said: “We are dismayed and shocked at such display of brutality. It is outrageous and depressing that a company renowned for excellence in human relations, quality and productivity is ravaged by such anarchy. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family of the dead and to those who have been injured.” “While the entire Indian economy is passing through turbulent times, the automotive industry has been a beacon of hope for industrial growth and job creation in the country. Unfortunate incidents as these not only impact the competitiveness of the automotive sector but also severely dent the image and the growth prospects of the nation. Under no circumstances should ‘anti-national’ activities as these take precedence over collective civil bargaining and the laws of the land should prevail.

“I strongly believe there should be a conducive business environment, which is mutually beneficial for the growth and development of both the employers and the employees. While the administration is seized of the matter, we hope that normalcy will be restored soon to ensure safety and security of the people and to give confidence to the industry," added Kapur.