New Delhi - More than 80,000 workers from 60 companies in India's auto-manufacturing hub in Gurgaon near New Delhi stayed away from work Tuesday with scores holding demonstrations on the streets. Workers pelted stones at police teams in Delhi's satellite city to protest the killing of a worker at an automobile parts manufacturing firm RICO on Sunday.
Work was disrupted at several companies in the industrial zone by the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) strike.
"Our estimate is that between 80,000 to 90,000 workers from some 60 companies have joined the strike," DL Sachdeva, the union's Gurgaon national secretary, said by telephone
"Thousands of workers are taking out processions and holding sit-in protests outside the companies demanding action against the RICO management for the death of the worker," he added.
Work was affected in several companies such as Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, Microtech, component makers Lumax, Sunbeam and Caparo Maruti.
Authorities also made elaborate security arrangements to prevent the protestors from blocking traffic on key highways linking New Delhi with the region.
The RICO company has experienced labour unrest for the past month. Management has rejected demands to allow a union, saying the workers have had pay hikes and the unit has been suffering low productivity.
Late Sunday, a clash broke out at the RICO factory between workers on strike and those who wanted to go back to work. The situation spun out of control, leaving one worker dead and several others injured.
The AITUC said workers would discuss the situation after Tuesday's strike, but were likely to intensify the agitation.
"Our main demand is that the victimization of workers in RICO and other companies in Gurgaon should stop immediately," Sachdeva said.
"The management and the government should respect the workers' right to organize which is guaranteed by our constitution."
