People's Democracy

  Japanese Union Expresses Solidarity

The following message was sent to the CITU by Mistuo Bannai, secretary general of National Confederation of Trade Unions (ZENROREN), Japan on August 3, 2005 expressing solidarity with the Honda workers’ struggle in Gurgaon and denouncing the Honda management for its anti-worker acts. 

The CITU congratulated ZENROREN for their response and urged upon them to take up the issue with the Japanese government and the Honda management as well, so that the legitimate rights of the Honda workers at Gurgaon are recognised and honoured by the Honda management. 

REPRESENTING 1.3 million members of ZENROREN and in place of its executive committee, I wish to express our warmest fraternal solidarity to Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and all Indian workers struggling against unfair labour practices, dismissals and massive suspension at Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India (HMSI), the Indian unit of Japanese car maker Honda, and demanding their reinstatement.

We strongly condemn the brutal action by the police on the Honda workers and their supporters at the rally in Gurgaon, Haryana state on July 25, 2005 and demand to bring the erring officials to book and release all arrested workers immediately.

At the same time, as to the repudiation of workers’ right to organise and unfair labour practices at the HMSI, which were the origin of the incidents, its holding company Japanese Honda should be called to account for. According to the British paper “The Guardian” of July 27, 2005 “Japan’s ambassador to New Delhi warned that such incidents would damage India’s image for investors”. We, however, are of opinion that what would be damaged by the incidents is not only “India’s Image” but also that of the global company Honda itself. The ZENROREN demands the parent company, Japanese Honda to instruct the HMSI management to take back all the retrenched workers unconditionally. We demand the government of Japan also to prevail upon the Honda Motor Co. Ltd to do the same.

The Honda Motor operates overseas at many bases including five subsidiaries in India. We demand that it should do its Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) by observing international labour standards on multinational corporations enshrined in the ILO “Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy” OECD. “Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises” as well as the latter’s “Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.”

The ZENROREN expresses again its commitment to our common struggle with no frontier not to allow highhanded activity of multinationals and for social control over them.

In firm solidarity with you.

(INN)