On January 5, a new union was born: the Maruti Suzuki Non-permanent Workers Sangh, marking a unique event in the history of working class struggles and the trade union movement.

The union was an initiative by dismissed permanent workers of Maruti Suzuki an act of solidarity by those who had no jobs, or incomes and more importantly, without the support of major trade unions.

I was present on the occasion as an observer.

The members of Maruti Suzuki Sangharsh Committee were permanent workers who had been dismissed by the company in 2012 in violation of labour laws. Since then, these workers had kept up their fight for their jobs as well as the non-permanent workers.

The Sangharsh, or struggle, committee had booked a place in old Gurgaon and were not expecting more than a hundred people. But by 11.30 am, more than a thousand had turned with the numbers swelling to over 3,000.

In the sea of the faces of young men, none was above the age of 30. Many had mobile phones to record the speeches of the trade union leaders. Their eyes were fixed on the speaker as they followed every word, nodding in agreement, a shadow of anguish on their faces as he spoke of their pain...