The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Twist to contract workers’ strike

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Twist to contract workers’ strike

Correspondent

Over 70 of them arrested; Congress supporters absorbed in their place

Workers have been seeking reinstatement of retrenched colleagues
They approached Telugu Desam MLA for help before the police held them

VIZIANAGARAM: In a dramatic turn to the indefinite strike by contract workers of Chorom Pakpond Limited, a Thailand-based company manufacturing aqua feed at G. Chodavaram in Poospatirega mandal, over 70 workers were taken into preventive custody and cases registered against 18 more for “obstructing work” of the factory on Thursday.

The arrests were made on a complaint of the management, said Ch. Papa Rao, Bhogapuram Circle Inspector.

In the meantime, in a swift move, local Congress leaders got their men absorbed in place of the striking workers. However, according to official reports, the appointments were made immediately after the regular contractor “resigned.” According to information received here, some 200 workers on contract, who were working for the last four years, decided to form a registered union.

Contentious issue

The management that was opposing formation a union retrenched nine of them, thus forcing other workers to go on strike demanding their reinstatement 10 days ago.

The workers did not allow the management to recruit outsiders during the period.

When the workers requested local TDP MLA P. Narayanaswamy Naidu for mediation, local Congress leaders allegedly sought police assistance to end the stalemate. The police swooped on the striking workers at the factory entrance and bundled them into vehicles in the morning. Minutes after the police action, the Congress leaders got 150 of their supporters appointed as contract workers in place of the arrested men.

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Andhra Pradesh