Hundreds of workers-youth staged protest in front of DC office for proper security arrangements
18th June 2013, Ludhiana: Hundreds of labourers, workers and youth staged a spirited protest in front of DC office today under the leadership of Textile-Hosiery Kamgar Union (THKU), Karkhana Mazdoor Union (KMU) & Naujawan Bharat Sabha (NBS) and presented a memorandum demanding to make sure the proper security arrangements and to curb the increasing incidents of robbery-snatching and other such crimes.

The memorandum presented by Labor-youth organizations states that the labourers and other poor people living in the colonies of poor population are suffering more from the incidents of robbery, thefts, snatching and other such crimes as they are much easier targets for the criminal elements. These incidents increase in the days when the workers get their salary from the factories. Dozens of the labourers have suffered such incidents till now. The situation is so serious that even the police personnel are indulging in snatching money from poor labourers by intimidating them in different ways. When the poor labourers go to lodge a complaint of such incidents, usually the police not only refuses to register their complaint, but also abuses the labourers and at many times, police personnel demand money for registering the complaint. The labor population is so much agitated that on 12 June at Bahadurke road, hundreds of labourers gathered spontaneously to stage a Dharna. Even after this, the police turned blind eye towards the plight of poor workers. The increasing incidents of robbery-snatching and then the anti-labor behaviour of police is creating disturbance in the city.

In keeping view of the seriousness of the situation, the memorandum demanded the DC, Ludhiana immediate action to make sure the proper security arrangements. The demands in the memorandum include – to increase the police patrol at night, to make sure proper light arrangement in the streets and roads, to make sure the proper hearing of labourers in offices of police-administration, early leave to workers on the days of salary, to guarantee the salary to labourers on 7th of every month and advance on 22ND of the month, to direct all the factory owners to open the bank accounts of all the workers and to deposit the salary of workers in the bank accounts with their consent, to immediately stop the police personnel from abusing and harassing the workers on their way to rooms from factory, to direct the factory owners to immediately issue the identity cards, attendance cards, attendance registers and implement other labor laws in the factories and to ask the factory owners to make arrangements for dropping the workers at their rooms/homes who get free from their work at night. The organizations warned that if their demands are not met, then they will turn the agitation more wide spread.

The president of THKU, Rajwinder said that similar situation was responsible for the Dhandari Kalan happening in 2010. At that time, the whole responsibility for those happening was put on the labourers. He said that by acting spontaneously and in un-organized manner, it is not possible to put pressure on the police and administration. For this, the workers’ should struggle in an organized manner and united. He further said that today’s protest is only the beginning. The administration has turned the ear to the united & organized struggle of the labourers. Taj Mohammad from THKU also addressed the protest.

Convener of KMU, Lakhwinder said that factory owners only know their profits. Even on the salary days, the workers are relieved at night hrs. They are not ready at all to make arrangements to drop the labourers at home even at late hours. Those who don’t even bother to issue identity cards to the workers and implement other labor laws in their factories, can’t be trusted at all to make security arrangements for workers at all. Even after repeated calls from the labor organizations to implement labor laws and making sure the proper security for the workers, the factory owners are not getting ready for this. The labor department is shirking from acting against the erring factory owners and the administration is supporting the factory owners. He said that the workers have to build a broader struggle to get their rights.

Convener of NBS, Chhinderpal said that the workers are suffering everywhere. The whole economic and political system of the nation is based on the profiteering, exploitation and injustice. The welfare of the workers is not the aim of this system. It’s not the democracy, it’s the democracy. He said that the workers’ have get their rights on their own and this possible only by united struggle.

Prof. A. K. Maleri from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Vichar Manch said that it’s the basic duty of the police to provide security to the citizens, but the administration has failed on this front. The nexus between police and robbers-goons-criminals is an open reality. He said that it is welcome initiative of workers-youth organizations to raise the banner against the administration for security arrangements and it certainly will positive results.

Hastakshep