FOXCONN WORKERS IN A SEZ FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS - ANOTHER MNC: ANOTHER MILITANT STRUGGLE

A small town with a big Special Economic Zone (SEZ) where giant Multi National Corporations (MNCs) like Hyundai, Foxconn, and Nokia have set up units – that is Sriperambadur in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu. The MNCs in the SEZs are provided with all facilities and concessions by the governments. Not only that; the ruling parties, through their unions, often provide a helping hand to the MNCs to thwart any attempts by the workers to fight for their rights with the support of the unions of their choice. This is the reality being unveiled through the struggle of the Foxconn workers in this SEZ.

Foxconn technology group, which has a unit in Sriperambadur, is a Taiwan based, super profit company, a subsidy of Hon Hai Precision Industries Limited. It is the world’s leading electronics manufacturer, catering to almost all the leading brands in electronics like Nokia, Apple etc. It ranks 112 in the global fortune 500 companies and has manufacturing units in China, India, Czech Republic, Mexico and other countries. In China alone, more than 900000 workers are employed by the company.

This multinational company is notorious for its anti worker policies and drew international attraction recently with reports that 17 workers have committed suicides in its plants. Various reports published on the working conditions of Foxconn workers have shown that they extract maximum work with very low wages. One report says that ‘It is the most typical factory run by a management methodology that boosts productivity through the degradation of workers into dehumanised machines’

In Sriperambadur, Foxconn has three units, with 1400 regular workers and 6000 other workers designated as ‘casuals’, ‘trainees’ and ‘probationers’. This is also a part of its international practice where the system of internship for students is being misused by making them work on production lines. A large section of the workers in the Foxconn unit in Sriperambadur in Kancheepuram district comprise of young women workers, mostly from the nearby villages, belonging to poor peasant, agricultural workers families. Most of them belong to the socially oppressed sections of the society.

Reports of huge number of workers fainting, vomiting, falling sick and getting admitted to hospitals due to the impact of the poisonous gas emitted in its units brought Foxconn into focus some time back. However the company tried to brush it aside attributing these to the impact of some insecticide sprayed in the factory. However, the strike by the Foxconn workers in its Sriperambadur unit since 22nd September 2010 fully exposed the oppressive methods being resorted to by the company.

The workers in Foxconn units are forced to work overtime without proper overtime wages; they are not allowed to form unions; they are not allowed to talk to outsiders, even to each other; all labour laws are flouted with utter disregard. No attention is paid to maintain safe and healthy working conditions in the units. Inhuman practices in the name of ‘disciplinary action’, assaults both verbal and physical, and various other cruel forms are usual.

Unable to tolerate the oppressive conditions, the workers of Foxconn decided to organise themselves, formed a union, got affiliated to CITU and demanded recognition of their union and starting of negotiations on the charter of demands that included increased wages, improvement in the working conditions etc. As there was no positive response from the management, the workers went on strike en masse from 22nd September 2010 that forced the management to agree for discussions with the union.

But in stead of keeping its word, the management treacherously announced that it had reached an agreement with the LPF union which had no following among the workers whatsoever.

The management did not specify the details of the agreement and simply said that they would be announced later. Instead, 23 leading workers were suspended and 8 days’ penal wage cut was imposed for the strike on 22nd September. Not ready to be cowed down, the workers retaliated by going on a strike again from 24th September. To bring pressure from the families of the young workers, particularly the young girls, the management wrote letters to their parents informing that their wards were not attending work and threatening of action.

The workers were asked to report to work with their parents, as if they were school children.

More than 300 workers along with A Soundararajan, general secretary of Tamil Nadu state committee of CITU and the E Muthukumar, secretary of its Kancheepuram district committee were been arrested and remanded in prison on 9th October. Many more fabricated charges under non bailable sections have been foisted by the police, to satisfy the management, and kept the leaders in the prison.

But undeterred by these repressive measures of the management and the state administration, the workers are continuing the strike.

The anti worker and repressive attitude of the DMK government in the state was also exposed during this struggle. While the struggle was going on, the workers along with the Kancheepuram district committee of CITU wanted to open an office in Sriperambadur and rented a small building. Even as all the preparations were going on to open the office on 10th October, the ruling party threatened the owner and publicly warned him of dire consequences if he rented the building to the union. Despite this and the arrest of the leaders, more than 3000 workers, mostly youth, marched on the streets with CITU flags and inaugurated the office. The CITU state committee strongly condemned the attitude of the Tamil Nadu government and the management in denying the workers the right to have a union of their choice and launched a state wide campaign and agitation against the repression let loose on the workers of Foxconn and their leaders.

It has demanded immediate and unconditional release of all the arrested leaders and workers and to settle the issue amicably through discussions.

As per the latest reports, 14 leaders including Soundararajan and Muthukumar are still in prison while the government had to release the other workers.

Source: www.citucentre.org