Italian Metal Unions Condemn Rights Violations in West Bengal, Call on Carmarkers to Move Plant from Singur

Posted to the IUF website 14-Mar-2007

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The three Italian unions representing workers at Fiat, the multinational carmarker involved in joint production with the Indian conglomerate Tata - have called on Fiat management to take action to move the site of the planned small car plant in Singur, West Bengal. The plant would employ 2,000 workers, while up to 30,000 people will lose their land and livelihood, including agricultural labourers, marginal peasants, sharecroppers, cottage industry and other rural workers who would receive no compensation under the procedure. Strong resistance to the plant construction has been mounted by thousands of workers and small peasant farmers, supported by the IUF affiliate PBKMS.

Police repression and violence against the villagers has intensified, with 5,000 additional police recently deployed in the area.

The FIAT unions' joint statement condemns the repressive measures taken against residents resisting the auto project and calls on both FIAT and TATA to press the West Bengal government to find an alternative site for the project which will not threaten local food production. The full text of the statement is available on the website of the International Metalworkers' Federation here.

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