Though garment workers withdrew their protest, Wednesday witnessed sporadic protests in Ramanagaram, Tumakuru, Kolar and Mandya. The garment workers here were raising larger issues of exploitation, such as harassment by management, lack of basic amenities in the work place and low wages. Most of them also condemned the police excesses against the protestors in Bengaluru.
Ramanagaram
At Kalegowdana Doddi on Kanakapura Road in Ramanagaram district, hundreds of workers of Laguna Garments staged a rasta roko. Though Ramanagaram Superintendent of Police Chandragupta convinced them that the provident fund issue had been resolved, the workers then sought resolution of their problems.
Towards afternoon, the Labour Inspector went to the spot and took their complaints on harassment at workplace. It was only after this that the workers withdrew their protest.
Dr. Chandragupta said that with the workers staging rasta roko, the Kanakapura Road withnessed traffic jam. Vehicular movement resumed normality only at around 2 p.m.
Tumakuru
At Tumakuru, thousands of garment workers staged a dharna at Town Hall Circle demanded the circular regarding the rollback of the norms on withdrawal, apart from hike in wages and putting an end to harassment at the workplace.
There are 10 garment factories in Tumakuru district and nearly 95 per cent of the workforce was women. Most of women The Hindu spoke to lamented about their travails at work.
Ashalatha, garment worker of Maf Clothing Pvt. Ltd., said half-day wages are deducted if they are even five minutes late to work. Kareema of Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd. said that most supervisors speak to them in foul language and pointed out that they are not allowed to relieve themselves even.
City Secretary of SUCI S.N. Swamy strongly condemned the police excess on workers in Bengaluru, while CITU’s district general secretary N.K. Subramanya said the problems of garment workers could have been resolved if labour inspectors conducted inspections regularly.
Mandya
Workers of several garment units in the district staged a massive demonstration here on Wednesday against recent amendments to the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, besides condemning the lathi charge on garment workers in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
Under the aegis of CITU, the workers took out a procession from the Silver Jubilee Park and staged a dharna outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office. They raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya for the “anti-labour policies.”
The NDA government is also pursuing wrong economic policies to favour big corporate companies, they alleged.
Kolar
Members of CITU staged a rasta roko at KSRTC Bus Stand Circle here on Wednesday, condemning police excess on workers, particularly women, in Bengaluru.
Traffic in the town was disrupted for some time due to the agitation. Led by CITU district unit president Gandhinagar Narayanaswamy, the protesters raised slogans against the Centre and state governments for the “anti-labour policies.”
The Bengaluru stir was an example for the unity of working class in fighting the liberalisation-backed policies of the governments, they charged.
