Workers protest demanding reinstatement of colleagues

GURUGRAM: The workers in the district took out their exasperation against demonetization on Thursday. Around a hundred workers protested against recent reducing of manpower in the industrial sector. The protestors alleged that companies are using demonetization as an excuse which has left thousands of workers across the district unemployed.

The workers started gathering outside Mini Secretariat building at around 11 am onwards.The protestors included members from All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and workers from various companies. They held out multiple marches around the old Railway Road and near Beri Wala Bagh and raised slogans demanding justice. Heavy police deployment was made in the area and cops were called from the police lines too besides the local police station. The workers told TOI that many companies have sent their contractual staff on long leaves, while salary cheques too bounced in some cases. The workers also had a dharna outside the building and raised their demands.
Their demands included reinstating of workers from Amity International School in sector 46, Napino Auto and Electronics Limited, Metro Ortem Limited in Sidhrawali, RGP Moulds in Binola, Ruskin Titus India Private Limited in Manesar and Senior India Private Limited from Manesar.
Besides this, the workers demanded that the wrong labour labour practice in Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India should be stopped, labour laws should be implemented in Bhalla Chemical Works Private Limited in Daultabad and anti-labour and worker laws should be changed. Also, they demanded that contractor-system should be abolished and temporary workers should be paid wages as per equal work, equal pay rule. Moreover, the workers demanded the minimum wages to be increased to Rs 18,000 a month.

“The workers have been facing a lot of issues since demonetization. We want that all temporary or contractual staff should be made permanent. Besides this, the workers who have been sent on long leaves, should be reinstated,” said Ashok Tanwar, general secretary, AITUC.