The Vegan Marxist
23rd February 2010, 03:37
‘This time I’ll lock you out for five years’ – Tata Tea’s garden manager threatens further collective punishment and starvation at Nowera Nuddy
| 2010.02.20 | Agriculture & Plantations, India, Tata, Tea and Trade Union Rights |
Workers at the Tata Tea controlled Nowera Nuddy plantation in West Bengal in India have been threatened again with collective punishment and starvation, this time directly by the general manager of the garden, Ipsit Gohain. Tata Tea, part of the transnational Tata conglomerate, are owners of the world’s second largest tea brand, Tetley, and control the Nowera Nuddy garden through ownership of Amalgamated Plantations.
The entire workforce at the garden were twice locked out and endured a total of almost four months without wages and rations in 2009. This was company’s response to a workers’ protest following the gross mistreatment of pregnant tea worker Arti Oraon, who was denied maternity leave and forced to work while 8 months pregnant.
Since the garden was reopened in mid-December 2009, the Nowera Nuddy Workers’ Action Committee, which formed in November 2009 to protect workers rights and enjoys majority support amongst the garden’s workers, has continued to campaign for the basic demands it first elaborated during the lock out. These demands include: the withdrawal of the suspension of 8 workers who have been victimised for their activism, the payment of wages and rations to workers for the period of the second lockout, compensation and an apology to Arti Oraon and an agreement on maternity and sick leave.
On 15 February two members of the Workers’ Action Committee (one a suspended worker) were called to the General Manager’s office. During the meeting the General Manager told the workers: “if you continue this type of movement, I will declare a lockout and it will not be like last time. It will be two, three…five years. Because I am feeling insecure due to your activities.”
What were the “activities” which were so threatening? Nothing more than distributing leaflets, making posters with the Committee’s demands (illustrated at right) and holding meetings which have included the presence of IUF staff.
On the same day the local management posted a notice in the garden, calling such acts “intimidation” and claiming people with “vested interests” were on a “destructive spree”. Such ludicrous charges reveal the management’s condescension towards workers and the serf-like subservience expected at Nowera Nuddy.
The reality is that the garden management have treated workers woefully for years, systematically denying sick leave and maternity leave, abusing workers and leaving workers’ housing in horrible states of disrepair, among many problems. The only reason these problems came to light was because workers protested their treatment.
Yet, the management is now trying to pretend that these years of abuse and neglect are irrelevant and workers are not entitled to freedom of speech or freedom of association.
It is in fact clear that the garden management is trying to continue its regime of intimidation and harassment against workers who seek to organise for their rights. An incident on the 20 February illustrates this: the Workers’ Action Committee posters were placed on a wall of the garden post office. The wall had frequently been used by various groups (including political parties) to advertise. At no time previously had this material been removed. Yet, when the Workers Action Committee posters appeared, the General Manager complained to the district post-master claiming the Nowera Nuddy post office (staffed by government workers) was supporting the workers’ struggle! The garden postal workers were so worried they contacted the Committee and asked if they could remove the posters as they were afraid of losing their jobs.
And all the while, Tata markets its global tea brand Tetley as ‘ethical’…..
Support the Nowera Nuddy Workers Action Committee struggle – send Tata Tea a protest message. (http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show_campaign.cgi?c=472)
http://asianfoodworker.net/?p=850
| 2010.02.20 | Agriculture & Plantations, India, Tata, Tea and Trade Union Rights |
Workers at the Tata Tea controlled Nowera Nuddy plantation in West Bengal in India have been threatened again with collective punishment and starvation, this time directly by the general manager of the garden, Ipsit Gohain. Tata Tea, part of the transnational Tata conglomerate, are owners of the world’s second largest tea brand, Tetley, and control the Nowera Nuddy garden through ownership of Amalgamated Plantations.
The entire workforce at the garden were twice locked out and endured a total of almost four months without wages and rations in 2009. This was company’s response to a workers’ protest following the gross mistreatment of pregnant tea worker Arti Oraon, who was denied maternity leave and forced to work while 8 months pregnant.
Since the garden was reopened in mid-December 2009, the Nowera Nuddy Workers’ Action Committee, which formed in November 2009 to protect workers rights and enjoys majority support amongst the garden’s workers, has continued to campaign for the basic demands it first elaborated during the lock out. These demands include: the withdrawal of the suspension of 8 workers who have been victimised for their activism, the payment of wages and rations to workers for the period of the second lockout, compensation and an apology to Arti Oraon and an agreement on maternity and sick leave.
On 15 February two members of the Workers’ Action Committee (one a suspended worker) were called to the General Manager’s office. During the meeting the General Manager told the workers: “if you continue this type of movement, I will declare a lockout and it will not be like last time. It will be two, three…five years. Because I am feeling insecure due to your activities.”
What were the “activities” which were so threatening? Nothing more than distributing leaflets, making posters with the Committee’s demands (illustrated at right) and holding meetings which have included the presence of IUF staff.
On the same day the local management posted a notice in the garden, calling such acts “intimidation” and claiming people with “vested interests” were on a “destructive spree”. Such ludicrous charges reveal the management’s condescension towards workers and the serf-like subservience expected at Nowera Nuddy.
The reality is that the garden management have treated workers woefully for years, systematically denying sick leave and maternity leave, abusing workers and leaving workers’ housing in horrible states of disrepair, among many problems. The only reason these problems came to light was because workers protested their treatment.
Yet, the management is now trying to pretend that these years of abuse and neglect are irrelevant and workers are not entitled to freedom of speech or freedom of association.
It is in fact clear that the garden management is trying to continue its regime of intimidation and harassment against workers who seek to organise for their rights. An incident on the 20 February illustrates this: the Workers’ Action Committee posters were placed on a wall of the garden post office. The wall had frequently been used by various groups (including political parties) to advertise. At no time previously had this material been removed. Yet, when the Workers Action Committee posters appeared, the General Manager complained to the district post-master claiming the Nowera Nuddy post office (staffed by government workers) was supporting the workers’ struggle! The garden postal workers were so worried they contacted the Committee and asked if they could remove the posters as they were afraid of losing their jobs.
And all the while, Tata markets its global tea brand Tetley as ‘ethical’…..
Support the Nowera Nuddy Workers Action Committee struggle – send Tata Tea a protest message. (http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show_campaign.cgi?c=472)
http://asianfoodworker.net/?p=850