* Within a short span of time after CITU got elected as the 'Principal Bargaining Agent' of Hindustan Motors (2008), dual attack from Management-CITU unleashed a reign of terror on the workers of the company. In a period of one and a half month (15th February till 31st March 08) 600 workers faced retrenchment in the form of VERS.

* As a result of the 61 days' non-stop strike when Management was forced to withdraw the DA Freeze; resulting an average salary of Rs 8000/- for every worker; at this time hundreds of workers are dictated to undergo force transfers at distant [Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Manipur, Assam, etc] locations (and other unscrupulous measures) with a maximum allowance of Rs 4200/-... thus indirectly compelling them to leave their jobs.

* There is active support from CITU and CPI(M) for facilitating Management in unleashing these attacks. In fact they are forcing VERS against transfer notices issued for their own CITU workers and leader indiscriminately. 30 active members in the rank of Tarkishor Tewari, Om Prakash Mishra and Biswambhar Jha were forced to accept transfer at distant location in order to retain their job after accepting SSKU membership.

* Some samples of the barbaric act of Hindustan Motors management with assistance from the State Government:

1. All three Secretaries' of the 'Sole Bargaining Agent' elected for 2005 has been kept suspended for a period of more than one year.

2. Vice-President of the Union, Fakruddin Khan, has been terminated for more than one and half years... although Tribunal has refused this twice.

3. 31 SSKU leaders are currently undergoing suspension notice.

4. Fake charge-slip or enquiry has been imposed on almost 50 members.

5. 20 leaders from the temporary workers (All secretaries, vice-president and like portfolios) have been terminated from service for two years now.

Current Agenda:

Combined attack from Hindustan Motors Management and CITU forced 600 permanent workers to undergo VERS in a span of one and half months... Transfer notices getting issued at random (from Kashmir till Kanyakumari)... Endless retrenchment is also under progress... Talks are also going on to implement 55 years as the mandatory age of retirement!

So on the verge of completing 1 year after the 61 days' non-stop strike, Hindusan Motors' workers are preparing themselves for a bigger struggle. To plan roadmaps to face this lofty challenge in front of us, SSKU has called for a Conference on 1st May 2008... expecting the fighting spiritted Hindustan Motors' workers to assemble on this event!!!

Hindustan Motors and Hyderabad Industries Ltd. Sangrami Shramik Karmachari Union (HM & HIL SSKU) is the culmination of a long course of evolution in the struggle of the workers of Hindustan Motors factory. This union has been established in 1997. The workers and members of the staff formed SSKU after breaking away from the Hindustan Motors and Hyderabad Industries Workers Union, affiliated to CITU, the then largest union.

An important aspect of this union is that right from its inception, it refused to have affiliation with any other big and recognised central trade union of the country. Interestingly, from the outset of the process of formation of this union, the most important faction of the central leadership of AITUC, the oldest central trade union of India, was actively associated with it.

Hindustan Motors was established in 1948 in Uttarpara, District Hooghly, West Bengal. For almost thirty years at a stretch this factory used to produce 70% of the passenger cars of our country; though in the '80s, the sales of passenger cars began declining, to as low as less than 1% in 2006. Meanwhile, in the year1991, the heavy engineering division of Hindustan Motors Ltd., which was engaged in the manufacturing of crane, dumper, shovel, etc., was separated from the main factory and established as an independent company, Hyderabad Industries Ltd (HIL). Till the year 2005, HIL was under the ownership of Birla Group. In the year 2005, it was sold to a separate Industrial Group and was renamed Titagarh Wagon Ltd (TWL).

During the ’50s and ’60s, workers of Hindustan Motors played a very important role in the trade union as well as the political movements of West Bengal. The late sixties witnessed a sensational drama written by the famous play-wright, Mr. Utpal Dutta named ‘Special Train’ that depicts the turbulence in the movement of this factory.

From the beginning of ’80s, the workers of Hindustan Motors took to small revolts against the bureaucratic attitude and the policy of collusion with the owner of the factory as adopted by the CITU leadership, which culminated in the creation of SSKU in 1997. From the moment the new union was launched, leaders and activists who were involved in the functioning of the union became the target of continuous attacks by the management.

In the Bargaining Agent Election of 2002, HM & HIL SSKU was elected as the Sole Bargaining Agent, securing 52% and 62% of the total votes, polled in Hindustan Motors and Hyderabad Industries Ltd. respectively. This resulted in escalation of the ongoing attacks by the management. In the year 2005, SSKU was once again elected as the Sole Bargaining Agent securing 62% and 67% of the votes, polled in Hindustan Motors and Hyderabad Industries Ltd. respectively. The management became more serious than ever and started exerting with large scale initiatives to break the union from within. In response to this vicious design of the management, in the Annual General Meeting of the union, held on 29th April 2006, the union removed Mr. Gurudas Dasgupta from the post of President of the union for his policy of appeasing the management. Mr. Sankarananda Chakravorty, an able organiser and a fighting worker was elected to the post of President. In the same meeting a new executive committee was also elected comprising of 115 members. As a result of this timely and bold decision, an unprecedented enthusiasm has been unleashed amongst the workers and the members of the staff of these two factories.

The Sangrami Shramik Karmachari Union, which is distinctly different from others not only for its peculiar history of evolution, but also for its own definite approach, outlook and style of functioning, earnestly desire to establish national and international relations with people, trade unions and other mass organisations that bears similar traits of being honest, responsible and having democratic values. Our purpose is to develop an effective and co-ordinating network in the society which is clearly opposed to the values promoted by the bourgeoisie.

The Secretary of the Union and a number of workers are facing the wrath of the management for raising their just voice. The workers are preparing for bigger movements with determination. Workers of other sectors and concerned citizens are rallying solidly behind the struggle of the fighting workers of Hindustan Motors.

The struggle continues...