Pune: Leaders Including Rohit Pawar Rally Behind General Motor Workers Union In Hunger Strike

Rohit Pawar on Monday became the latest politician to engage in discussions with members of the General Motors India employee union. These union members had initiated a chain hunger strike to press for the transfer of all their workers to Hyundai Motor, which plans to acquire General Motors' manufacturing facility in Talegaon.

Prior to Rohit Pawar's involvement, several prominent figures expressed their support for the ongoing chain hunger strike led by the General Motor Workers Union. These supporters included Sushma Andhare, the Shiv Sena Group Leader (Thackeray Group), MLC Sachin Aher, a former labor minister and labor leader, MLA Sunil Shelke, BG Kolse Patil, a renowned social activist and former Judge of the Bombay High Court, and Aniket Ghule, the Yuva Sena Pune Chief. Additionally, over 70 workers union officials showed their solidarity with the cause.

Here's why employees are on strike

General Motors, the American automobile giant, ceased selling its cars in India back in 2017. However, as part of the transaction involving the sale of its Talegaon plant in Pune to Hyundai Motor, approximately 1,000 permanent General Motors employees find themselves without job offers from the new owner, Hyundai.

During his interactions with the protesters, Pawar stressed that, considering the broader context of industries relocating to other states, it would not be prudent to escalate tensions between the company and its workforce. Pawar highlighted that this issue directly affects roughly 1,000 workers, encompassing around 5,000 individuals and their families. He underscored the importance of government intervention to find a peaceful resolution to this situation.