NON-REGISTRATION OF UNIONS

CITU Warns Of Intensified Struggle

THE Punjab government and the authorities of the labour department were strongly condemned by Punjab unit of the CITU for not registering the unions of workers of the cycle industry in Ludhiana. They warned that the CITU would hold rallies and demonstrations in front of parliament and observe a strike in Ludhiana industry if the employers and the government did not recognise the workers’ right to organise a trade union and did not stop police repression and victimisation of workers.

In a press release issued on August 11, Raghunath Singh, general secretary and Vijay Misra, working president of Punjab unit of CITU charged the state government of nakedly siding with the employers. They said that the employers and Punjab government, which are accusing the CITU of converting Ludhiana into Kolkata, are themselves bent upon making Ludhiana into another Gurgaon where jungle raj of employers would prevail.

The union organised by the CITU in Ludhiana are “Lal Jhanda Hero Cycle Workers Union”, “Lal Jhanda Rockman Cycle Workers Union” and “Lal Jhanda (Mangli Division) Hero Cycle Workers Union”.

Reminding the state government and authorities of labour department of their duty to defend the law of the land, the CITU leaders stated that almost one and half years had passed since the workers of the various cycle industrial units submitted their application to the Registrar of Trade Unions Punjab for registration. None of the above-mentioned unions have been registered so far, and, shockingly, no reason is being cited for not registering these unions.

Accusing the employers of throwing all labour laws to the wind, the CITU opined that jungle raj of the employers and police raj of the Punjab government was prevailing in the cycle industry in Ludhiana. The innocent workmen are being subjected to ruthless exploitation, victimisation and police repression. They pointed out that the government was shamelessly supporting the employers and not allowing the workers to organise a union of their choice which is their basic trade union right guaranteed under the Trade Union Act, 1926.

Commenting on the letter written by the employers to the prime minister accusing the CITU of converting Ludhiana into another Kolkata, they said this charge was being made with a malicious intention of maligning Kolkata and the Left Front government. The CITU leaders asserted that Kolkata and West Bengal boast of best industrial relations and peace as compared to other states. “The only thing which is missing in Kolkata and West Bengal is the jungle raj of the employers because the employers are not allowed to violate the labour laws or curb the trade union rights of the workers”, they stated. They contrasted this with the blatant non-implementation of labour laws in Punjab despite several letters written to the chief minister, labour minister and Registrar of Trade Unions by important leaders of Left parties and trade unions. Among those who wrote the letters included CPI(M) leader Lok Sabha, Basudeb Acharia and CITU general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Chittabrata Majumdar. A memorandum was also submitted to the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Despite all this none of the unions of workers of the cycle industry Ludhiana have been registered so far.

Those who are charging that Ludhiana is being turned into Kolkata must realise that actually they are  turning Ludhiana into another Gurgaon, said the CITU leaders. Demanding immediate registration of trade unions, withdrawal of false police cases and reinstatement of victimised workers, they warned that if this were not done the CITU would hold rallies and demonstrations in front of parliament and observe a strike in Ludhiana industry. (INN)