Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Demonstration in Kolkata against the repression of workers’ movement in Gorakhpur, activist Sandeep Pandey expresses concern


Fact-finding team led by social activist Sandeep Pandey expresses concern over violation of labour laws in the factories of Gorakhpur
Veteran social activist Kamla Pandey writes another letter to the Chief Minister Mayawati
New Delhi, 29 May. Hundreds of workers staged a demonstration in Kolkata against the repression of workers’ movement in Gorakhpur and the anti-labour policies of the Uttar Pradesh government and sent a memorandum to UP Chief Minister Mayawati through the governor. More than 500 workers belonging to various factories including Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation, Hindustan Engineering and Industries Ltd., Bharat Battery, Calcutta Jute Mill, Sura Jute Mill, American Refrigerators co. etc staged a protest demonstration yesterday at Esplanade, the administrative hub of Kolkata, under the banner of Shramik Sangram Samiti. Some organizations from Delhi, Punjab and Maharashtra are also planning protests on this issue.
After the demonstration, a three member delegation met Mr M.K. Narayanan, the governor of West Bengal and presented him a memorandum in support of the demands of agitating workers in Gorakhpur and against the anti-labour policies of the Uttar Pradesh government. The delegation urged the governor to convey the feelings of the workers and intellectuals of West Bengal to the UP CM Ms. Mayawati.
Addressing the protest meeting, the speakers said that a new consciousness is emerging among the workers against the attacks on their rights and they are organising and waging struggles by breaking away from the status quoist established trade unions. Though this phenomenon is still in its embryonic form, the ruling classes leave no stone unturned to crush it at this stage. The attacks on the workers struggling in Gorakhpur for last one month by the factory owners and administration needs to be seen in this regard. The speakers stressed the need to form a nationwide platform of the leading workers of all such struggles so that a united resistance could be posed against the onslaught of rulers and exploiters. Apart from the leaders of different factory unions, the meeting was addressed by Tushar Bhattacharya, editor of ‘Shramik Ishtehar’ a newspaper published from Kolkata and Subhashish D. Sharma, editor of ‘Hamari Soch’ a fortnightly published from Ghaziabad.
In the meanwhile, a joint fact-finding team of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and Peoples Union for Human Rights (PUHR) led by Magsaysay Award winner social activist Sandeep Pandey visited Gorakhpur and investigated the reasons behind the firing incident in Ankur Udyog Ltd. on May 3 and the continued labour unrest since then. The team met Pappu Jaiswal, the injured worker who is in hospital ever since the firing incident and then reached Bargadwa to meet the workers of Ankur Udyog where the workers of the two locked out factories of V N Dyers also reached.
The workers described the violations of labour laws in the factories and the working conditions in detail to the investigation team. The team was shocked to find that there was no arrangement of even first aid within the factory in the event of an injury to workers. They saw that a worker’s finger was injured and he had to be taken outside even for a simple bandage. 900 workers work in 3 shifts in this yarn-making factory. The workers who sustained bullet or pallet injuries in the incident on 3rd May have not received any aid from the factory owners and administration. Apart from Sandeep Pandey, the investigation team consisted of Fateh Bahadur Singh and Rajeev Yadav of PUCL and Manoj Singh of PUHR. The investigation team would issue a detailed report on June 3 in Lucknow. However, in a press release issued in Gorakhpur, the team demanded that a judicial enquiry should be ordered in the firing and lathicharge on workers and the lock out in the two factories of VN Dyers should be ended by taking back all the 18 dismissed workers.
In Lucknow the veteran ex-teachers’ union leader and chairperson of Anurag Trust, Kamla Pandey sent another letter to the chief minister Mayawati saying that if the continued repression and harassment of the workers in Gorakhpur is not stopped, she would go to Gorakhpur and start a fast-unto-death herself. She said that in the arrogance of power, perhaps Ms Mayawati has forgotten that she is also a representative of the lakhs of workers of the state. If the voice of workers is continuously ignored in this manner, she would have to face its consequences in the next assembly elections.
The campaign of condemnation of the repression of the workers in Gorakhpur and sending memorandum to Mayawati is continuing. A delegation of some prominent social activists and intellectuals is also planning to go to Lucknow to meet the chief minister.

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