Wazirpur Workers Appeal to Labour Commissioner

Around 1000 workers from the Wazirpur industrial area marched towards the office of the Deputy Labour Commissioner, Ashok Vihar for a gherao this afternoon. They do not plan to return to Wazirpur unless strict action is taken against the owners for not following labour laws. The police, acting on behest of the factory owners, are continuously threatening the workers. Following is a letter appealing to the Labour Commissioner to take immediate action against the hot rolling factory owners who are violating a binding legal agreement with the help of the police and hired local goons.

To,

Shri Rajendra Dhar

Labour Commissioner

Govt. of NCT of Delhi

5, Sham Nath Marg, Delhi.

Sub: Appeal to take immediate action against the Hot rolling factory owners violating a binding legal agreement with help from Police and local goons.

Respected Sir.

As you must be knowing, a written agreement between the owners and workers was signed in the presence of the Deputy Labour Commissioner on June 27th 2014, which clearly meantioned that all the demands of the workers of the hot rolling mills (including minimum wages, 8 hour working shift, ESI, PF and others) are accepted by the factory owners. When the mill owners refused to implement the agreement on June 28th, once again a similar agreement was signed by the owners after long negotiations held in presence of the Deputy Labour Commissioner. But the owners are not implementing it.

Today, several workers were held hostage by owners at factory plot no A-102/6 and the workers were assembled outside the factory to protest. A large number of police personnel as well as local goons were there to intimidate and harrass the workers. It is an apprehension that the workers leading the protest may be arrested and pressurized by the police to sign a new agreement in favour of the factory owners. It clearly shows that the police is working hand in glove with the factory owners. Even before, the police had been acting in a very prejudiced manner at the behest of the owners. This is totally illegal because the workers have not broken any law. It is the owners who are in violation of the legal agreement. Today even two assistant labour commissioners could not free the kidnapped workers from the A-102/6 factory.

We fear that the workers held inside the factory are being beaten and threatened. We appeal to you that you take immediate action against the owner of A-102/6 and seal the factory as the owner is blatantly violating the legal agreement. We also appeal that a legal notice be sent to all the hot rolling mill owners as all of them are openly flouting the labour laws right under the nose of labour department.

Regards.

Jagrook Nagrik Manch, Delhi

Disha Students Organisation

Stree Mazdoor Sangathan

Stree Mukti League