Protesting workers at GM's Halol unit get international 'moral' support

Strike enters eighth day, Karl Slym to visit plant today.

The employees' strike at General Motors' (GM) Halol plant has got international support. The Indian National Trade Union Congress (Intuc) claimed that the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) has extended moral support to the Gujarat Kamdar Mandal-backed workers' strike at the factory which entered eighth day today. GM India president and managing director Karl Slym is likely to visit the site tomorrow.

Intuc Gujarat president Nihil Mehta said, "IMF has extended their moral support to the workers' strike at the Halol plant. They operate unions in GM plants across the world. GM India's top man Karl Slym is on his way from the UK and will reach Halol tomorrow. A meeting has been scheduled between the workers' union, district labour officials and Slym tomorrow afternoon."

Intuc has received a mail from IMF South Asian office expressing solidarity with the strike. A copy of the mail is with Business Standard.

The IMF letter says, "We appreciate your valiant efforts to uphold workers' rights. IMF extends its solidarity and support to struggling General Motors workers. IMF will also inform about this struggle to its international affiliates."

Geneva-headquartered IMF represents the collective interests of 25 million metalworkers from more than 200 unions in 100 countries. The IMF is a federation of national metalworkers' unions , a ‘union of unions' at the world level, and one of the oldest Global Union Federations.

The company, issued an appeal yesterday asking workers to report to work within 48 hours. "Already around 550 workers have resumed work and around 350 are still on strike. We have asked all to report to work. Currently, we are able to produce around 60-70 cars every day working in general shift. In all, there has been a production loss of around 600 vehicles till date," said P Balendran, director and vice-president, corporate affairs.

GM's statement said a group of employees at Halol went on a flash strike, which was illegal and unreasonable, trying to disrupt the normal production activity and added that the government of Gujarat had declared the strike as illegal on March 18.

Nearly 900 workers at the plant had gone on an indefinite strike from the second shift on March 16, while around 350 workers had joined work on March 18.

Intuc has already referred the matter to the National Human Rights Commission, which has directed the district magistrate of Panchmahals district to give a report within seven days. It has also filed a petition with the Gujarat High Court alledging unfair labour practices.