Women workers protesting against abysmal wage rates in one of Delhi’s biggest almond producing units in Karawal Nagar have alleged that they were brutally assaulted by some factory owners for refusing to resume work and continue to struggle to get their complaint registered with the Delhi Police.
Close to 4,000 workers under the banner of the Karawal Nagar Mazdoor Union (KMU) have been protesting since March 1 against low wage rates that have not been increased for the past 12 years.
The area is one of the biggest hubs that produces almonds, which are sold in the international market and distributed in several local markets.
Speaking to The Hindu, Yogesh Swami, convener of the KMU, said while a woman makes ₹2 per kg for the cleaning and sifting almonds before these are packaged, their male counterparts make ₹5 per kg for lifting the bags of almonds.
“Keeping in mind the rate of inflation, we have been demanding that the women workers be paid ₹12 instead of ₹2 per kg, and the men be paid ₹10 instead of ₹5 per kg. This will allow them live a dignified life,” said Mr. Swami.
Sangeeta Devi, 37, who has been working at an almond producing factory in the colony for the past eight years, said she has not seen any increment or additional pay, despite the fact that many like her bring along their young daughters to help them clean and sift at least 100 kg of almonds, earning them only ₹200 a day.
Mr. Swami points out that while the Delhi government has made it mandatory for labourers to be paid a minimum wage of ₹673, the factory owners at Karawal Nagar have been paying only ₹200 to women and close to ₹400 to men per day, without any extra sum for overtime.
Demanding for a higher pay, designated washrooms for women, extra pay for additional hours of work, almost 4,000 workers took to the streets in residential areas, where each house’s ground floor has been turned into a factory for producing almonds.
However, to squash the protest a group of factory owners allegedly attacked a group of six women, said 35-year-old Urmila Devi.
“A group of five factory owners and their hired musclemen attacked us with iron rods and wooden sticks, manhandled us, tore our saris, pulled us by our hair and hurled casteist slurs,” said Ms. Devi, whose back and neck had turned bluish black owing to the assault.
However, despite the injuries, Naureen Sabba, a member of the union, told The Hindu that women have been unable to get an FIR registered for the past three days.
