NEW DELHI: Even as the police attack on agitating workers in Gurgaon drew flak from across the political spectrum along with demands for suspension of the officials responsible, the Left parties and trade unions on Tuesday decided to launch a nationwide agitation for workers' basic rights. The unions have given a call for an all-India protest action on August 1.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in a statement said the police action was an "outrageous example of the police acting as agents of a multinational company (MNC)''. Stating that workers in factories in Gurgaon were not allowed to form trade unions, the CPI (M) said the Honda factory was an illustration of how workers' rights were suppressed.

`Prosecute company'

Also, the CPI (M) is of the view that the Honda management should be prosecuted for declaring an illegal lockout and the workers reinstated without any conditions. Besides, the Central Government must ensure that all MNCs in the National Capital Region conform to labour laws strictly.

Briefing the media after visiting Gurgaon, CPI (M) leaders Brinda Karat and Nilotpal Basu said the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil's statement in Parliament was far from reality, particularly on the number of injured.

Lathi-charge in hospital

Stating that there was a lathi-charge within the hospital compound in their very presence, Ms. Karat said: "The police and administration are continuing to work as agents of the management. The officials and police personnel responsible for the action should be suspended so that they are not in position when the judicial enquiry is conducted.''

The CPI said that despite the police attack being raised in Parliament, Haryana police and Delhi police used water canons and other forms of attack on demonstrators in the State and the capital. Extending support to the trade unions' call for protest action, the CPI said Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India — and other such `anti-labour' companies following neo-liberal policies — should be held guilty for the lockout and `repression' of workers' rights.

The All India Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas said it was `clear' that the police brutality had been `planned in connivance with the company management and their goondas.' Demanding an apology from the Haryana Government and the resignation of the Home Minister of the State, he said adequate compensation must be given to the injured and retrenched workers.

Similar demands were made by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). The general council of CITU — which is currently meeting in Kerala — passed a resolution condemning the attack and demanding that the Haryana Government bring the erring officials to book. Urging the State Government to release all the arrested workers, CITU also asked it to prevail upon the Honda management to take back all the retrenched workers unconditionally.

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