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Indian court rules in favour of General Motors employees

21 September, 2022A court in India has dismissed General Motors India’s petition challenging an earlier order directing the company to pay 50 per cent of the salary to 1,086 illegally retrenched workers.

In December 2020, General Motors India ceased production at its Talegaon plant rendering more than a thousand workers jobless. Production was shut down, despite the government rejecting the application for closure of the plant.

General Motors Employees Union, affiliated to IndustriALL through Shramik Ekta Mahasangh, filed a complaint before an industrial court against the unfair labour practices of the company, which illegally retrenched 1,086 workers in July 2021.

The industrial court ruled in favour of the union in January 2022, directing the company to pay 50 per cent of the salary to workers from April 2022 until a final decision is made regarding the complaint.

General Motors India refused to implement the court order and challenged it in Bombay high court. On 12 September, the high court dismissed the petition.

Sandeep Bhegade, president of the General Motors Employees Union, says:

“We are very pleased that the court has ruled in our favour, but our fight doesn’t end here. 1,086 workers have not received any wages since July 2021. The company has refused to follow the directive of the industrial court to pay 50 per cent wages to workers.”

Apoorva Kaiwar, south-Asia regional secretary of IndustriALL, says:

“IndustriALL stands firmly with General Motors Employees Union in its struggle to protect workers’ rights. We call on General Motors India to immediately implement the court directive.”