Skip to main content

Demand for unionization: Tata Nano workers detained off Ahmedabad as they protest suspension of colleagues

By Our Representative
Nearly 350 skilled workers of the Tata Nano factory, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought to Gujarat from West Bengal about eight years ago, were detained by the police at the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) Gate No 2 in Sanand, a new industrial hub 12 km from Ahmedabad.
The workers were protesting against the alleged refusal of the state government to take back 28 of their colleagues, as they had raised their voice for recognizing their newly-formed union, Bhartiya Kamdar Ekta Sangh (BKES), said Ashim Roy, a well-known Gujarat based trade union leader guiding the Nano workers’ strike, which has been continuing for the last about three weeks.
The GIDC Gate No 2 is the main entry point towards the Tata Nano factory, which has become famous for producing India’s smallest car. Ever since the skilled workers, nearly 450 of them, are on strike, the production of the car is said to be on a standstill. "The BKES was recognised this weekend, by the state government, but these workers remain suspended", Roy said.
Among others who were detained along with the protesters included Lalji Desai, a farmers’ leader who recently joined the Congress, Khedut Samaj Gujarat leader Sagar Rabari, and Ashim Roy. “In all, 500 plus workers and activists were detained, because we decided to defy the state government refusal to give permission to BKES to protest”, Roy said.
This was the second detention of the Tata Nano workers in a week's time for their protest against refusal to get the suspension of their colleagues cancelled. On March 14, they were detained in front of the Ahmedabad district collector's office.
Before the detention, the meeting was addressed by Lalji Desai and Sagar Rabari, who were also the main leaders of the farmers’ movement against Mandal Bahucharaji Special Investment Region (SIR)  in Central Gujarat, and Ashim Roy.
They demanded revocation of "punitive suspension" of 28 of the Tata Nano company’s skilled workmen in retaliation of seeking registration for their new union. They condemned the government for acting on behest of the company in suppressing the labour moment.
The strikes of Tata Nano workers, which began on February 22, 2016, is prolonging despite several round of talks with the representatives of the Tata Nano management. “The company has been evading to discuss the core proposals suggested by the labour department and instead has been demanding authorization of the representatives”, Roy said.
Meanwhile, Lalji Desai and Sagar Rabari declared their decision to mobilize rural area farmers in the region in support of the Tata Nano workers if they are not allowed to resume work within a week.
Roy said, “It is shameful that the administration is denying dharna of 50 workers on ground lack of police force allocated for other urgent work. However, it able to mobilise massive police force to control and detain 400 people to protect the Tata Nano company. The police mobilised SRP in buses provided by the company.”
“In view of this repressive atmosphere created by the police, in all 22 organisation, including national trade unions decided to intensify the agitation. More and more unions are joining the Solidarity campaign of Tata Nano workers”, he added.

Comments

TRENDING

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Central pollution watchdog sees red in Union ministry labelling waste to energy green

By Chythenyen Devika Kulasekaran*  “Destructors”, “incinerators” and “waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration” all mean the same thing – indiscriminate burning of garbage! Having a history of about one and a half centuries, WTE incinerators have seen several reboots over the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. 

First-of-its-kind? 'Eco-friendly, low cost' sewage treatment system installed in Gujarat

Counterview Desk Following the installation of the Unconventional Decentralized Multi-Stage Reactor (UDMSR) for sewage treatment, a note on what is claimed to be the  first-of-its-kind technology said, the treated sewage from this system “can be directly utilized for agricultural purposes”, even as proving to be a “saviour in the times of water crisis.”

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Indo-Bangla border: Farmers facing 'illegal obstacles' in harvesting, transporting yields

  Counterview Desk  In a representation to the chairperson, National Human Rights Commission, human rights defender Kirity Roy, who is secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), has said that Border Security Force (BSF) personnel are creating "illegal obstacles" for farmers seeking to harvest their ripened yields and transport them to the market in village Jhaukuthi of Cooch Behar district.

Wasteland, a colonial legacy, being used to 'give away' vast tracts to Ratnagiri refinery

By Fouziya Tehzeeb* William D’Souza, a 55-year old farmer from Kuthethur, Mangalore, was busy mixing cattle feed when we arrived at his doorsteps. Around 25 km from the bustling city of Mangalore, Kuthethur is a lush green village with thick vegetation. On the way to William’s house the idyllic view gets blocked by the flares and smoke arising from the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL).

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

CAA disregards India's inclusive plural ethos, 'betrays' ideals of freedom struggle: PUCL

Counterview Desk    "Outraged" at the move of the Central government to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA 2019) weeks before the election, the top rights group, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has demanded that the law be repealed. 

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Sections of BSF, BGB personnel 'directly or indirectly' involved in cross border smuggling

By Kirity Roy*  The Border Security Force (BSF) of India and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) of Bangladesh met for 54th Director General level meeting at Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 5th to 9th March, 2024 to discuss on minimizing killings at border area, illegal intrusion, trafficking of drugs and other narcotics, smuggling of arms and ammunitions and other crimes at bordering areas. Further, the summit had an agenda to discuss on overall development in 150 yards area at both sides of the border and design an activity plan for the same.