Workers at RIL’s Naroda textile plant continue protests
04 Feb 2012
A section of workers at the textile unit of Reliance Industries Ltd in Naroda near Ahmedabad continued their strike for the second day on Friday, even as police arrested three of them for unlawful assembly, shouting obscene slogans in public places, and 'illegal detention'.
Police in Ahmedabad said a group of protesting workers had prevented co-workers from entering the factory and got into a minor scuffle with them.
About 1,000 workers protested outside the unit, which is RIL's first manufacturing facility, known for its Vimal brand of products.
The flash strike was called by a group of employees under the banner of 'Reliance Employees' Union' from the second shift on Wednesday. It was ostensibly over pay issues, though the company hinted in a statement on Thursday that it was triggered by a management move to ban the use of cellphones inside the factory.
"We are on an indefinite strike and will continue till our issues are resolved. For many years, the demand to make temporary labourers permanent has not been entertained. We are also demanding a salary hike and have submitted a 14-point memorandum to the management," Sagar Patel general secretary of the union, said on Thursday.
On Friday he added, ''Police have been pressuring us to call off our strike. They are constantly threatening to lathi-charge us. There are about 1,000 workers who are striking work today.''