People's Democracy

THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has strongly denounced the brutal atrocities by the Employer- administration nexus on the workers of Export processing zone at Visakhapatnam (VEPZ) in Andhra Pradesh.

On January 10, the police brutally lathi-charged 350 workers of M/s World Wide Diamond Manufacturing Ltd operating in VEPZ, while the workers were proceeding to submit a memorandum to the management requesting adherence to basic labour laws. Since then, the workers had been on continuous strike. Many workers, including the local CITU leader K M Srinivas, were arrested, brutally beaten up in police custody, chained and lodged in lock-up. Perhaps, Chandrababu Naidu government in AP considers the workers its worst enemy, even worse than the terrorists, felt the CITU in a statement.

Emboldened by the brazen anti-worker and anti-people policy of the state government and taking full advantage of the immunity from labour laws, a jungle-raj has been ushered in VEPZ. The workers are subjected to inhuman barbarity by the high tech state government. Hire and fire policy is very much prevalent. Very low wages are paid -and the majority of the workers are being paid much below the statutory minimum wages. The employers do not maintain proper employment records. Labour inspectors are not allowed inside VEPZ.

Heavy fines are imposed on the workers on very flimsy grounds. If a lady worker spends even five minutes in the bathroom - the (male) manager enters the toilet and knocks on the door. Workers applying for registration of a union are summarily dismissed.

The repressive measures of the employers have extended to the social life of the workers. Dismissals had taken place - for taking leave to vote in the local body election; for celebrating Christmas etc. There are hundreds of such sadist actions of the employers, abetted by the administration in VEPZ.

Protesting such atrocities, a local bandh was observed on January 11, braving massive arrests. The CITU has also addressed letters to the AP Chief Minister, Union Labour and Commerce Ministers demanding immediate corrective action for enforcement of labour laws.