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

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 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 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

Dalit rights and political tensions: Why is Mevani at odds with Congress leadership?

While I have known Jignesh Mevani, one of the dozen-odd Congress MLAs from Gujarat, ever since my Gandhinagar days—when he was a young activist aligned with well-known human rights lawyer Mukul Sinha’s organisation, Jan Sangharsh Manch—he became famous following the July 2016 Una Dalit atrocity, in which seven members of a family were brutally assaulted by self-proclaimed cow vigilantes while skinning a dead cow, a traditional occupation among Dalits.

Powering pollution, heating homes: Why are Delhi residents opposing incineration-based waste management

While going through the 50-odd-page report Burning Waste, Warming Cities? Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Incineration and Urban Heat in Delhi , authored by Chythenyen Devika Kulasekaran of the well-known advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability, I came across a reference to Sukhdev Vihar — a place where I lived for almost a decade before moving to Moscow in 1986 as the foreign correspondent of the daily Patriot and weekly Link .

Boeing 787 under scrutiny again after Ahmedabad crash: Whistleblower warnings resurface

A heart-wrenching tragedy has taken place in Ahmedabad. As widely reported, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane crashed shortly after taking off from the city’s airport, currently operated by India’s top tycoon, Gautam Adani. The aircraft was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. As expected, the crash has led to an outpouring of grief across the country. At the same time, there have been demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the Civil Aviation Minister.

Ahmedabad's civic chaos: Drainage woes, waterlogging, and the illusion of Olympic dreams

In response to my blog on overflowing gutter lines at several spots in Ahmedabad's Vejalpur, a heavily populated area, a close acquaintance informed me that it's not just the middle-class housing societies that are affected by the nuisance. Preeti Das, who lives in a posh locality in what is fashionably called the SoBo area, tells me, "Things are worse in our society, Applewood."

Global NGO slams India for media clampdown during conflict, downplays Pakistan

A global civil rights group, Civicus has taken strong exception to how critical commentaries during the “recent conflict” with Pakistan were censored in India, with journalists getting “targeted”. I have no quarrel with the Civicus view, as the facts mentioned in it are all true.

Whither SCOPE? Twelve years on, Gujarat’s official English remains frozen in time

While writing my previous blog on how and why Narendra Modi went out of his way to promote English when he was Gujarat chief minister — despite opposition from people in the Sangh Parivar — I came across an interesting write-up by Aakar Patel, a well-known name among journalists and civil society circles.

Remembering Vijay Rupani: A quiet BJP leader who listened beyond party lines

Late evening on June 12, a senior sociologist of Indian origin, who lives in Vienna, asked me a pointed question: Of the 241 persons who died as a result of the devastating plane crash in Ahmedabad the other day, did I know anyone? I had no hesitation in telling her: former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, whom I described to her as "one of the more sensible persons in the BJP leadership."

A conman, a demolition man: How 'prominent' scribes are defending Pritish Nandy

How to defend Pritish Nandy? That’s the big question some of his so-called fans seem to ponder, especially amidst sharp criticism of his alleged insensitivity during his journalistic career. One such incident involved the theft and publication of the birth certificate of Masaba Gupta, daughter of actor Neena Gupta, in the Illustrated Weekly of India, which Nandy was editing at the time. He reportedly did this to uncover the identity of Masaba’s father.

Why India’s renewable energy sector struggles under 2,735 compliance hurdles

Recently, during a conversation with an industry representative, I was told how easy it is to set up a startup in Singapore compared to India. This gentleman, who had recently visited Singapore, explained that one of the key reasons Indians living in the Southeast Asian nation prefer establishing startups there is because the government is “extremely supportive” when it comes to obtaining clearances. “They don’t want to shift operations to India due to the large number of bureaucratic hurdles,” he remarked.

Search This Blog