Demonstrations against the arrest and imprisonment of NVH workers in Tamil Nadu

NVH is the South Korean auto ancillary of Hyundai, situated in the auto hub of Sriperumputhur. It employs about 150 permanent and 500 contract workers. The permanent workers formed a union under the banner of the United Labour Federation, but the Management has not yet recognised it. The workers subsequently went on a warpath demanding recognition, basic amenities, revision of wages and against the practice of employing workers under contract.
As a punishment for the protests, 10 workers were suspended and another 5 workers were terminated for demanding drinking water and water in the toilets. The workers’ movement then demanded the reinstatement of those suspended and terminated; workers went on a strike by assembling inside the factory premises. State leaders of the Federation and workers who were thrown out by the management gathered at the gate of the factory in support of the strike. Irked by the action of workers, the South Korean officers attacked them violently. This was videographed and the video subsequently went viral in many social media networks. Around 40,000 people watched this video on the day it was uploaded.

The police went into the factory by midnight on 1 January 2015, and arrested the striking workers including 3 women. They also arrested the workers assembled at the gate. While hundreds of workers arrested were released by the evening, 28 workers who had spearheaded the movement were sent to the Vellore prison. But the Korean officers who had attacked the workers went scot free. Condemning the incident, AICCTU and RYA jointly organised a demonstration on 5 January 2015 at Sriperumputhur, on 6 January in Coimbatore and on 8 January in Ambattur.

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