Behind outburst by JNS workers - a growing discontent among auto, ancillary workers in Gurugram

Gurugram: Even as heavy deployment of police officials around JNS instruments in Manesar has led to situation being controlled there is still simmering anger among workers towards the senior management of the auto ancillary unit manufacturing unit.

The workers have alleged that the management is not allowing the workers union to be formed. The management is ensuring that not only payment concerns of several workers remain unresolved but also there is also looming job insecurity as the company plans to move a substantial amount of its production capacity to Bhiwadi in Rajasthan.

While violent protests may have brought JNS instruments into a negative limelight, it is important to note that for the last three years there has been growing discontent among workers in auto and auto ancillary units.

The anger among workers in Gurugram was evident in the farmers protest where a large number of auto union workers participated in protests at Shahjahanpur and demanded job security for contractual workers and better payment structures.

With manufacturing units of leading auto companies, Gurugram has also benefited with a large number of auto ancillary units coming up over the years. Falling sales, decline in profitability, long duration of COVID-19 and recent state government 's policy of reserving 75 percent of the blue-collar job for local population however in the recent past have increased challenges for auto manufacturing units in Gurugram.

The first signs became visible in December 2019 when Honda Motorcycle, which has its manufacturing unit in the city, had to lay off hundreds of its contractual workers due to decline in sales. The move then led to massive protests by workers who complained that they were not compensated fully before being laid off. The adverse impact of COVID-19 also hit the small auto ancillary units that were forced to lay off workers.

Having started its journey of production from Gurugram, the country's leading automaker Maruti Suzuki is also now looking beyond Gurugram to enhance its production capacity. Knowing very well the significance of Maruti Suzuki, the Haryana Government has decided to provide 900 acres of land to Maruti in Sonepat and prevent them from moving to Gujarat.

Several owners of auto ancillary units have also not shied away in expressing their discontent in reserving 75 percent of the blue-collar jobs for local population citing that it would result in affecting the meritocracy.

With Haryana having the highest unemployment rate in the country, the state government has not changed its stance and has been firm on reservation for local population.