The Factory (trailer)

"The Factory" is of a documentary by Rahul Roy on the repression of workers who were organizing and protesting at the Maruti Suzuki auto plant in Manesar, Haryana province, very close to the Indian capital Dehli.

After one Maruti Suzuki manager was killed and several others injured in July 2012, 147 workers were arrested and accused of murder, arson, and rioting. 2,500 workers were dismissed.

Workers and supporters claim that the 'incident' was set up and that the 'riot' during which the manager got killed was carried out by hired thugs.

They say that the 'incident' is connected to the setup of an independent union, the Maruti Suzuki Workers’ Union (MSWU) in March 2012, and that Maruti Suzuki's management has used the 'riot' and killing to criminalize union leaders and members and undermine the workers' struggle.

A group of dismissed workers formed a committee to support their colleagues in jail and their battle in the courts.

In March 2017, 113 of the accused workers were acquitted, 31 were convicted, and 13 of those got a life sentence for murder.

A global campaign was lauched in April 2017 to support the 'Maruti 13' demanding their release. In Manesar and elsewhere, workers have organized support actions like the boycott of company canteens.

See more videos on Maruti Suzuki and on the automobile industry in the Dehli region: Maruti Suzuki: The liquidation of secure jobs, Maruti Suzuki workers strike in Gurgaon/India, Backyard, Many Straws Make a Nest and On the threshold: Class struggle in Delhi.