People's Democracy

Workers Record

Partial Victory

The protracted struggle of the contract workers of Reddy Laboratories ended in partial victory with the management forced to concede some of the demands following intensive negotiations with trade union leaders and district administration officials, stretching over four days. Initially, the management was lukewarm to the negotiations sending lower level officials to the talks. With huge uproar over the brutal police crackdown on striking Reddy Laboratory workers, the district administration also pressurised the management.

The contract workers daily wage has been increased from Rs 213 per day to Rs 260 per day i.e. Rs 1410 increase per month. The management also agreed to rescind its decision of terminating aged contract workers as also gradually transferring back the 12 activists it had abruptly shunted to Hyderabad unit. After discussing the outcome of the talks in the general body meeting of the workers, CITU Srikakulam district secretary D Govind Rao announced that the workers would join back duties and the process of consultations on other demands would continue. CPI(M) district secretary Choudhary Tejeswara Rao described the outcome of the strike as a victory of the united struggle.