Workers to PCA Automotive: Return land or employ as agreed

CHENNAI: ‘Give back our land or get us our jobs’ is the demand to the Tamil Nadu government from 22 people whose grandfathers had given their land to Hindustan Motors Ltd in 1968.

The demand is going to echo at the sitin protest to be held on October 1 at the Tiruvallur district collectorate. The 22 people as well as over 150 contract workers are demanding employment in PCA Automobiles India Private Ltd - a joint venture between global automotive manufacturer Stellantis Group and the CK Birla group.

They were earlier employed by Hindustan Motors Ltd/Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation Ltd at its Tiruvallur car plant rolling out Japanese Mitsubishi Motors Corporation’s models like Lancer, Pajero and also under contract manufacturing deal for Isuzu Motor’s MU 7 model.

Later about 175 permanent workers and over 150 contract workers were retrenched by Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation and the plant was transferred to PCA Automobiles.

“We were retrenched despite an agreement signed between the two joint venture partners that the workers will be absorbed by PCA Automobiles,” H Ismail, one of the retrenched workers whose grandfather’s land was acquired by Hindustan Motors in 1968.

“It was based on this Employee Transfer Agreement, Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation got permission from the Tamil Nadu government to transfer the plant and other assets to PCA Automobiles. Post transfer of assets, the workers - permanent and on contract - were sent out,” said E Srinivasan, Secretary of the Hindustan Motors Land Giving Farmers Progressive Association.

“Hindustan Motors acquired about 356 acres of agricultural land from 1968 at Tiruvallur. Initially it bought the land directly from the owners. But it was not able to get the extent it wanted and sought the District Collector’s help. Later the company deposited the land cost with the government treasury and the government transferred the land to the company,” Srinivasan added.