Police on Monday took over 100 contractual workers into custody for trying to stage a gherao near the bungalow of Tata Motors ltd’s plant head at Nildih under Telco police station area.
The contractual workers were heading to the plant head AB lall’s residence to raise their demand for not to retrench 17 supervisors whom utility company Jusco has decided to remove from the service.
led by local Congress leaders, over 400 protestors, including women workers were just near the residence of AB lall as the police took about 100 of them in custody. During the police action, a brawl also took place between the protestors and the police party, but the situation was soon brought under control.
Officer-in-charge, Telco thana, KM Ram said that they have taken about 100 persons in custody for taking out procession toward the residence of Tata Motors ltd’s plant head with a motive to stage gherao of the top company executive.
“ Yes we have arrested the workers for their action as they had not taken any permission from the administration for their such protest. We will release them on PR Bond later on,” said Ram.
Ram said the arrested protestors had been lodged in Golmuri thana as there was no space to accommodate so many people in Telco thana premises.
Telco township, which was being maintained by Tata Motors ltd through contractors is being maintained by Jusco, which is a Tata Steel subsidiary. The water supply system was being was looked after by Jusco since the past eight years, and now the civil maintenance work of the township is also being done by the utility company.
Anand Bihari Dubey, a Congress activist who was leading the protest said that they were heading toward the Tata Motors ltd’s plant head’s house as the Jusco has removed 17 supervisors from service recently.
“It is really shocking the way company is acting. Those supervisors who have been removed had been working under three contract firms since the past 20 to 25 years. But after Jusco was entrusted with the town maintenance work, the utility company retained all the workers, but sacked all the 17 supervisors. ,” said Dubey. He said the protestors were stopped by police from reaching the house of the plant head and several of them were taken into custody.
Jusco spokesman, Rajesh Rajan said ever since the utility company took up the town maintenance work of Telco township in October last, they had made some changes in the working for providing better services.
“The protest is not justified as we have made no changes in the service condition of the contract workers nor have removed any of them, but a section of middlemen who would do their work wishfully has been removed. None of those sacked is worker,” said Rajan.