An 11-member fact-finding team set up to probe the January 8 clash between the police and protesting workers of Daikin Airconditioning India Pvt. Ltd. in Neemrana, has stated that the arrest of the employees were “arbitrary” and “backed by no evidence”.
The team, which included two members from the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, added that the factory’s management must put an end to the “unfair labour practices” and “oppressive working conditions”.
Met workers’ families
The fact-finding team visited Neemrana last week and met the families of the factory staff, who have been demanding that the management recognise the union of the workers and their democratic and trade union rights.
On January 8, around 2,000 workers in the Japanese zone of Neemrana industrial area participated in a rally as part of the All-India workers’ general strike called by the central trade unions.
“When the workers’ rally reached the Daikin company gate around 2 p.m. and tried to raise the union’s flag, they were brutally attacked by around 150 police personnel... the police lathicharged workers and also fired rubber bullets, lobbed tear gas shells and water cannons against men and women workers... injuring 40 people, with many requiring hospitalisation for fractures and head injuries,” stated the fact-finding team.
“The injured workers included men and women, permanent and contract employees of different companies, but the president of the Daikin Air Conditioning Mazdoor Union, Rukumudeen, and general-secretary Daulat Ram, were particularly targeted,” it added.
Midnight raids
Quoting the family members of several workers arrested by the police, the fact-finding team, in its report, said that the workers were picked up near midnight by a team of police from three nearby police stations of Shahjahnpur, Neemrana and Behror in Alwar.
“During the arrests, the police also committed excesses, kicking one Deep Singh while swearing at him, dragging him out of his home in Behror around 11 p.m. Champa, wife of one Ajay Kumar, said the police who came to arrest him were drunk and disrespectful towards her. They showed up at the home around midnight... the couple were unwell and resting... Champa even lost consciousness during the raid,” said the report.
“Preeti, wife of one Ghanshyam Saini, said that eight policemen jumped into their compound in Behror without ringing the bell. Her neighbour, Lal Chand Meher, was also picked up. Lal’s wife Jyoti showed the fact-finding team hospital records revealing that her husband had been hurt in the lathicharge... Lal was prescribed medicine for a wound on his thigh,” said the report.
All the arrested workers were permanent staff, except for Deep, who was a casual worker, stated the report.
The fact-finding team said that the workers felt that the unity of permanent and contract workers, and the demand for permanent employment of contract workers was particularly resented by the company.
The first attempt at forming the union was in 2013, with a two-month strike, but the management was able to bring a stay order. A later attempt to form a union was countered by terminating most of the union office bearers and active members, said the report.
The third attempt to register the union was successful with intervention from the Rajasthan High Court on August 29, 2018, but the management refused to recognise the union or negotiate with the office bearers, despite it being an independent, registered trade union, added the report.
Published - January 14, 2019 01:29 am IST
