Update from Chhattisgarh ACC-Holcim contract workers struggle

On 10 August 2011, 100 women and children; from families of the agitating contract workers marched to the ACC-Holcim gates in Bhilai Industrial estate, shouting slogans demanding the implementation of the High Court order and the taking back of false cases on the union leaders and activists. On 9 August, the bail of Bhagwati Sahu, elected member of the local body (Janpad Panchayat) and an activist of the PCSS, was rejected by the High Court of Chhattisgarh. Sahu has been falsely accused by a security officer of Ambuja-Holcim of dacoity and assault because of union activities. The union will now move the Supreme Court.

Since the management has refused to come to the negotiating table so far, Pragatisheel Cement Shramik Sangh (PCSS) will now file a cross appeal to the Writ Appeal filed by the company in the High Court. Arguments on both these Writ Appeals would start on 16 August.

The union will observe 15 August, Independence Day at the Niyogi Chowk, Bhilai (where for the past 4 months the workers have been on dharna) with mobilization of youth and a campaign against the way predatory foreign capital still continues to dominate the administration and disregard Indian labour laws, like Holcim has managed to do so far.

On 26 July at about 5.30pm, there was a massive industrial accident in the Grasim Cement (of the Aditya Birla group), not far away from the Ambuja factory, in which a part of a new plant under construction collapsed injuring (and possibly killing) a number of contract workers working there. A joint fact finding team of the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha and the AICCTU federation were not permitted to enter the premises, let alone visit the site by the Management. Since a number of contractors were working on the site and most of them were employing workers from outside the state, who have been immediately sent away, it has still not been possible to ascertain the real impact of the accident.

In the past month there have been moves to retrench another 200 odd local workers working in Ambuja- Holcim, ostensibly hired by so-called contractor “Ayoki”, most of them being members of the PCSS. But these workers are refusing to accept the “final settlements” being made.

This year about 1500 workers gathered at Bhilai on 1 July to observe the 19th anniversary of the day when 17 workers (including 3 of ACC-Holcim) had been killed in a brutal police firing. (On 1 July 1992, after a long patient struggle, the workers had blockaded rail tracks basically demanding abolition of sham and bogus contract labour.) This year contract workers of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation led by Milind Ranade of the Kachra Vahatuk Shramik Sangh and New Trade Union Initiative went to extend solidarity and inspired PCSS by their brave struggle against exploitation and discrimination.