The strike of the power loom workers of Ludhiana’s Gaushala, Kashmir Nagar and Madhopuri areas under the leadership of Karkhana Mazdoor Union (KMU) entered 14 day today. Yesterday (on 28th September), the striking workers dedicated the 13th day of their strike to 103rd birth day of martyr Bhagat Singh. After the inconclusive dialogue with the Assistant Labour Commissioner on 27th September, the workers of 7 other power loom factories have also decided to join the strike. With this, the workers of 59 factories are on strike now.
Coming under the pressure of the strike, the factory owners conducted a meeting in Gaushala on the evening of 28th September. It is learnt that the meeting witnessed a fierce altercation and even though majority of the owners were in favour of a compromise, some powerful factory owners ensured that a consensus could not be reached.
Today on the 14th day of strike the workers conducted a meeting at Tuda ground, Chandigarh road from 10 am to 5:30 pm. It was decided in the meeting that tomorrow (on 30th September) the workers, along with their family members, would organize a huge demonstration at the Labour Commissoner's office. Despite the long struggle, the workers are not showing any sign of fatigue and their spirit is high. They insist that they would go back to work only when their legitimate demands are met.
Contact for further information:
Rajwinder – 098886 55663, Lakhwinder – 096461 50249
Email: lakhwinder0143@yahoo.co.in
Office: Karkhana Mazdoor Union, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Pustkalaya, Gali No.5, Lakshman Nagar, Gyaspura, Ludhiana, Punjab
The coverage of the Ludhiana strike in some of the national dailies can be read at the following links:
http://www.cmemarkets.com/v3/2010/09/29/series-of-industrial-strikes-hit-ludhianas-powerloom-sector/
The Ongoing Struggle of Ludhiana Power Loom Workers: http://sanhati.com/excerpted/2755/
No comments:
Post a Comment