People's Democracy

Punjab Medical Representatives Go On 3 Days Strike

MORE than 4000 medical representatives of Punjab struck work for three days from June 6 protesting against their victimisation by the pharmaceuticals companies and for realizing their long pending demands. The strike call was given by the Punjab and Chandigarh Medical and Sales Representatives Union (PCMSRU) and it was part of the two month long all India relay strike of medical representatives which began on May 8 in Kerala.

Nearly 250 medical representatives participated in this strike action in  Chandigarh. They are demanding implementation of all the clauses of Sales Promotion Employees Act, 1976, including payment of minimum wages, bonus and provident fund.  They were also asserting their trade union rights by demanding the pharma companies to refrain themselves from the interference in the trade union activities of medical representatives.

The PCMSRU has condemned the Chandigarh administration and Punjab state government for not ensuring the implementation of minimum wages (which were already declared by the administration) by the pharmaceutical companies.  Among the demands made to both the central and state governments were:

·        Reduce prices of drugs

·        Stop black-marketing of medicines and sale of spurious drugs

·        No change in Indian Patens Act, 1970

·        No replacement of the jobs of medical representatives by casual workers.

·        Pay minimum wages, bonus, PF to unorganized sector workers

·        Accept trade union rights of field workers

·        Rationalise labour laws in workers interest

·        No tagging of job security with sales performance.

On the third day of the strike a torch light procession was taken out by the members of PSMSRU Chandigarh unit. The procession started from Cheema Bhawan, Sector 30 and concluded at Sector 17 Plaza with the burning of an effigy of organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) and Indian Drug Manaufacturers Association (IDMA).   

Later, a delegation of PCMSRU leaders met the governor of Punjab and UT administration O P Verma and submitted a memorandum to him demanding the implementation of the provisions of Sales Promotion Employees Act, 1976 (SPE Act) and the implementation of minimum wages by various companies operating in Punjab and Chandigarh.