Powerloom workers rally for rights

Vivek Pandit of Shramjeevi Sanghatana which organised the rally stated that the demands form part of fundamental rights to life and livelihood and other constitutional rights granted by the Constitution of India.

He said, “Even after 50 years of independence, workers are living in slavery. The benami transfers of loom ensure that no owner has more than seven workers on record, thus making the Factory Act unapplicable. The owner pays only 50 per cent of what he shows in his account books and the Minimum Wages Act is violated with impunity.”

Pandit revealed that the workers’ colony is like a ghetto where basic civic amenities were not available. “On the one hand, these bustees are not authorised by the local municipal authorities. "The residents live in constant fear of eviction by the civic authorities. The local goondas who extract haftas from the poor bastiwallahs are a source of constant terror.”

“On the other hand, politicians are also involved in the extortion business. For instance, in Gayatrinagar, a bustee of more 5000 workers in Naigaon, is facing threats from a municipal councillor and his father,” members of the morcha alleged.

The morcha leaders submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Manohar Joshi to the SDM. After holding negotiations with the workers’ leaders, the senior official agreed to issue attendance cards to all workers, provide water to the bustees, issue ration cards with immediate effect and provide garbage containers to be kept at various points throughout the slums.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from the municipality, rationing office, labour office and Tahasildar.