The company locked out the 90 workers and used police to stop them entering the work site. The workers formed the Pak Suzuki Motor Co Star Workers Union to fight the company's refusal to give 850 casual workers at the plant full time jobs and to provide them with medical facilities, annual leave and work insurance. Only 400 employees out of a total workforce of 1,250 are permanent. Despite repeated requests from the dismissed workers to the Labor Department that it investigate their grievances, nothing has been done. In fact, it has been over seven years since anyone from the Department has even visited the plant.
Workers suspect that officials have been bought off with bribes.
Those workers who remain at the plant work under very repressive conditions with the management carrying out a campaign to intimidate and victimise anyone who shows support or sympathy for those who were dismissed. Workers everywhere are urged to support the sacked Suzuki employees and send faxes demanding their immediate reinstatement and that the company cease interfering with their democratic right to organise. Indian workers stage mass protest Thousands of workers from a number of companies in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, staged a mass protest this week against repressive government labour policies. The demonstration was organized by the All India Trade Union Congress and culminated in a mass meeting in Freedom Fighters Park in the city. The union officials' only perspective was to call for talks with government and employer representatives.