Struggle of Paharpur Workers – Kolkata, India

Appeal from Paharpur Cooling Towers Mazdoor Sabha Union, Kolkata 

Workers of M/s Paharpur Cooling Towers Ltd at its Kolkata plant at 5A, Oil Installation Road, Kolkata – India  are continuing their hard struggle against the anti-labour policy of the Company. The Management of the Company is denying the fundamental rights of the workers to organize and bargain collectively, the Management has not revised the wages of the workers since last 15 years, Management has withdrawn the Canteen facilities the workers, further to foil the rightful struggle of the workers for wage revision and implementations of subsisting settlements, the Management have summarily dismissed five union activists from the service and that too on concocted ground, the Company have disconnected the supply of drinking water and electricity at the workers quarters and failed criminal court cases for vacating the quarters. The management has also deployed port mafia to crush the just struggle of the workers. In all practical purpose the Company has declared war against the workers; however, against all odds the workers are continuing their struggle and decided to fight till end.

In this regard, relevant to inform here that though some Independent Trade Unions of Kolkata – India are extending their solidarity support to the struggle, last year GRSE Workmen’s Union – Kolkata had organized  the blood donation camp, wherein more than hundred workers have donated their blood in solidarity of the Paharpur workers struggle, but due to insufficient fund, we are facing tremendous problem to continue the struggle, in one hand we have continue the court cases that are very much expensive and other day to day program and in other hand we have to look after the survival of dismissed workers and their family. 

Under the above, we appeal you to please extend your solidarity support to the struggle of the workers as you deem fit and proper, it is also highly appreciated your organization will extend financial support to the struggle as well. We put below the Bank details, wherein you may consider donating to the struggle fund.

• Worker’s Initiative
• Account No. 30205565669
• CIF No. 85111073437
• Branch Code:  3881
• State Bank of India
• 46/43, Garden Reach Road, Kolkata 700024 -India

Trust you will extend your solidarity to the just struggle of workers of Paharpur.

Thanking you,

Sincerely yours,

K. SRINIVASA RAO (Joint Secretary)

KAMAL TEWARY (President)

NB: A hand-out over the ongoing struggle is also inlcuded below:

Date 20.04.2014

Struggle of Paharpur Workers – Kolkata

Management of Paharpur Cooling Towers Ltd, an Indian MNC, has unleashed a war against the workers of its factory at Kolkata, India. In this 21st Century the Company is attacking the unionized workers of Kolkata factory with out-dated exploitative measures like victimization, penalization and harassment, which has become a routine activity of the Company.

About the Paharpur:

The Paharpur Cooling Towers Ltd, enjoys a monopoly in manufacturing industrial cooling towers with a turnover exceeding Rs.1, 000 crore. The products of the Paharpur ranges from small factory assembled units through large concrete towers that require construction of onsite and air cooled condensers. Paharpur is also engaged in real estate business along with Mauritius based private equity fund in India and at Sri Lankan capital of Colombo. Moreover, Paharpur is going to make alliance with US-based industrial equipment and manufacturing giant ― SPX Corporation, to acquire its cooling business. Paharpur has its market in different countries like Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Singapore, Nigeria, Philippines, amongst others.

Out-dated exploitation of workers:

Paharpur is an example-setter in India for engaging contractual and sub-contractual labourers to extract labour at the cheapest rate. Further, Paharpur has all along violated and is still violating the minimum statutory provisions related to the workers’ rights, thereby depriving the workers from minimum wages, less payment of gratuity, not extending Provident Fund, etc., which are the routine activities of the Company.

At the Kolkata factory the Company has not revised the wages of the workers since last 15 years. The Company, by the power of its capital is snatching the existing rights and privileges of the workers. However, following a protracted agitation against mass dismissal of workers, and against the plan for deployment of sub-contract labours in the jobs earmarked for regular workmen, the Company arrived at a settlement with the Union assuring for 1) Revision of wages of workers. 2) Revamping the canteen facilities. 3) Finalization of incentive of despatch workers.

But all of a sudden the Company, in utter violation of the settlement, stopped the canteen facilities, and refused for revision of wages. Such attitude has been adopted by the Company as workers of the factory were opposing the Company’s deployment of sub-contract system in the work earmarked for regular workmen, along with illegal deduction of incentive pay. On 25.07.2013 the Management on the concocted ground summarily dismissed two Union activists without giving them any scope for self defence and thereby trampled the principle of natural justice. Further, on the same ground and on the same day the Management suspended three other Union activists, and later they were dismissed. Workers of Paharpur have vehemently opposing the above dismissal of their Union activists and thus demanding for their re-instatement. The Union has also raised an Industrial dispute over the illegal dismissal of workers; the matter has been taken up by the Labour Commissioner, Govt. of West Bengal. The workers of the factory are continuing their peaceful struggle and have started a campaign program throughout the industrial belts of Kolkata, India.

The Management of Paharpur has not taken the content of the above poster and campaign in good grace and has issued a ‘Show-cause’ letter to Brother A.K. Molla Joint Secretary of the Union, Further, the Management has initiated enquiry into the matter of issuance of said poster, on 1^st Feb’14 the Management issued the Notice for enquiry and on same day having mental stress Brother Molla got sick and hospitalized in govt. Hospital. Relevant mention here that Brother Molla retired from the service of the Company on 15 February’14 but till date the Management has not paid his retirement benefits like gratuity, amongst others.

Management of Paharpur is using its power of capital to deploy the police force in an attempt to crush the rightful and peaceful struggle of the workers. However against all odds workers of Paharpur are continuing their peaceful struggle for their livelihood. 

• On 28 January, 2014 the Union staged a Sit-in- Demonstration for Eight hours at the factory gate at Kolkata, where a large number of Paharpur as well as advance. Workers of different Companies participated. 
• On 26 February workers of Kolkata plant – India observed a successful Strike. To foiled the peaceful strike of the workers the Management of Paharpur has imposed Sec 144 of Indian panel court order upon the workers prevented the workers for holding the gate meeting, peaceful picketing amongst others, even though workers of Paharpur untidily observed the peaceful strike, however after the successful strike the Management in vengeances deployed the port mafia and they have attacked and assaulted three Union activists namely Ram Milan, Abdul Qaddir, Achelal with iron rods etc.

​Meanwhile some Trade Unions of Kolkata – India has extending their solidarity support to the workers of Paharpur.

• On 3rd April 2014 GRSE Workmen’s Union a TU of the workers of Defence shipyard of Kolkata-India organized a Blood Donation Camp at their Union office. Brother Krishna Sharma, Secretary of GRSE Workmen’s Union informed that about 117 workers have donated their blood in support of struggling workers of Paharpur. Brother Sharma also informed that 50% of Blood will sold to the Blood Bank and money received will be donated in the struggle fund of Paharpur workers and remaining 50% Blood Donor Card will be utilized for deserving poor workers for their treatment as and when require.
• On 4th April a workers meeting was organized by WORKER’S INITIATIVE a common platform of  Independent Trade Union supporting the struggle of Paharpur workers. The gathering was addressed by Sister Petra Brannmark Communication Director of industriALL Global Union, Brother Sudarshan Rao Serde, Regional Secretary, South-Asia of industriALL Global Union and Brother Kamal Tewary President of Paharpur Cooling Towers Mazdoor Sabha. All the speakers supported the causes of struggling workers of Paharpur.\
• On 22nd April 2014 from 6AM workers of Paharpur Cooling Towers Ltd its Kolkata plant started their 48hrs Strike against the anti-labour policy of the Company. Earlier on 21 March 2014 strike notice was served by the Union informing the Management for their intention to observe the 48hrs Strike on 9 and 10 April 2014, however to give more time to the Company for re-instatement of 5 dismissed workmen and lawful resolution of other issues like wage revision, re-commencement of canteen facilities, but instead of coming forward for settlement the Management adopted very adamant attitude and refused to re-instate the dismissed workmen. Having no alternative the workers starts their 48 hrs peaceful strike from to-day, which is fully successes and total.
• Instead of addressing the rightful issues of the workers, the Management of Paharpur further adopted heinous attack upon the workers, trampling the Magistrate Court order wherein on 9th July 2014 the Learned Magistrate directed the Police Authority to ensure that basic amenities’ of workers like electricity shall not be disconnected from the workers quarters and jhupri.  But in late evening on  9th July 2014 all on a sudden the Management has disconnected the electricity connection from the workers quarter and jhupri causes serious suffering to the families of the struggling workers, family members of the workers wherein 10 days new born baby as well as cardiac patient resides,  further on 10 July 2014 the Management violating the said Court Order disconnected the drinking water supply to the workers quarters.
• Protesting the this shabby onslaughts all the workers spontaneously sized their work from 9th July 2014, on 10th July 2014 the Police authority compelled to intervened into the matter and they detained the Workers Manager and three others for 9 hours in the police station, on assurance for restoration of drinking water connection they get released from the police. However, one single connection of drinking water at the road side has been supplied, but till date the Management has not restored the electricity and drinking water connection to the workers quarters.
• Further, on 15th July 2014 the Management has failed a Court case against the workers for vacating the Co’s quarters.  Actually the Management wants to put the struggling workers under their heels and to achieve this object the Management adopted all sort of anti-human action.

Readers may be aware that the Management of Paharpur in all practical purpose declared war against the workers. To crush the lawful agitation of the workers the Management have deployed some port mafias, threat- terrorizing the workers has become a routine work of the Management. 

However the workers have decided to continue till last. The Union appeal all the fraternal organization to extend their solidarity support for struggling workers, presently the Union is facing serious financial crisis to continue the just struggle of the Paharpur workers, some of the independent struggling Trade Union of Kolkata are extending their support but that are not sufficient, in one hand the Union is carrying out the court cases, day to day program and in other hand engaged to provide financial relief to the dismissed workers. We therefore looking forward for solidarity support from the struggling workers and other organization those are truly engaged in workers movement.

1. Re-instatement of Five dismissed workers namely Brother Awadesh Prasad, Ram Milan, Abdul Qaddir,Achelal and Avinash Kumar.
2. Re-commencement of Workers Canteen.
3. Management shall Honor the rights of workers to organize and bargain collectively.
4. Restoration of Electricity and drinking water connection at workers quarters and Jhupri.
5. Settlement of Charter of Demands of the workers.

With regards,

Kamal Tewary,

President

Paharpur Cooling Towers Mazdoor Sabha - An Independent Trade Union

J/470, 1st Floor, Paharpur Road,

Kolkata – 700 024 – India.

Cont. No. +91 9903592064

Mail ID: kt_ssc@rediffmail.com