Sacked gas agency workers stage dharna

Kakinada: With a demand to reinstate expelled employees and implementation of labour laws, the East Godavari Gas Delivery Workers Association led by CITU, AITUC, IFTU, INTUC and AIKMS staged a dharna at Collectorate here on Monday.

Speaking on this occasion, the CPI (ML) New Democracy district leader, V Ramanna mocked that the labour laws were not being implemented in this very city in which the district Collector resides. If the situation was worse in Kakinada, one could assume the situation in other parts of the district, he criticised.

He said that the management Sri Agency should shed their stubborn attitude towards the innocent labourers. He further alleged that the Sri Agency expelled the gas delivery workers when they formed a union. Ramanna wanted the authorities to reinstate the expelled employees. The CPI (ML) would support them until their restoration.

Speaking on this occasion, IFTU (International Federation of Trade Unions) district secretary J Venkateswarlu alleged that Sri Agency had no respect for labour laws. He further said that the gas delivery workers submitted memorandum thrice to the district Joint Collector Mallikarjuna. He informed that the JC ordered the district supply officer (DSO) and district labour officer (DLO) to look into the issue.

He also said that the management paid a deaf ear to district officers’ directives. He threatened that they would intensify the movement if the HP agency delayed reinstating of the removed employees. The CITU leader, Veeralakshmi, AITUC leader Peddireddi Satyanarayana, INTUC leader Talluri Raju, IFTU leader K Ganga Raju and other leaders and activists participated.