Together with the fight against the capitalist for higher wages and better working conditions, the permanent workmen of Blue Star Ltd., have taken up the grievances of casual and temporary workmen employed in the company’s Thane factory and service centres located at Gamdevi, Sun Mill Compound, Colaba and the erection sites.
Although the management strongly opposed the union’s effort to take up this issue the company agreed in 1974 to pay the casual and temporary workers at the rate of Rs. 11 per day for unskilled workers and Rs. 12 per day for semi-skilled and skilled workers. The plight of the casual and tempo-rary workers did not end there. Though the company required on an average 60/65 temporary workers throughout the year, the crude method adopted by the management was to employ a worker as a temporary for a specific period of 3 to 4 months, then dismiss him and in his place a new hand was employed. Clearly, the intention was to deny the worker’s future claim for permanency. The perma-nent workers of the factory decided to end this exploitation of their brothers. The management was forced in to an agreement with the union and a seniority list was prepared. Thereafter the workmen were employed only from this list. At the same time, the management also had to agree to confirm the temporaries in batches, according to seniority. The resuit was, the management in consultation with the union, confirmed 12 temporaries in 1976, 26 in 1977, 25 in 1978, and 34 in 1979. In October 1979, after a prolonged discussion between the management and the union, it was further agreed to increase the wages of casual and temporary workers with imme-diate effect. The revised rates are Rs. 15 per day for unskilled workers and Rs. 17 per day for semi-skilled and skilled workers.
The successful struggle of our factory comrades in getting justice for their brothers, inspired comrades working in the company’s service stations, repair stations and erection sites, and soon they too took up the struggle.
At the Colaba repair station, when the local management was asked by the union to pay the revised wages to the temporaries (whom the management was paying at the rate of Rs. 7 per day) the company sacked all the four tempora-ries. Immediately, all the permanent workmen stopped work and refused to start until the management changed its decision. Subsequently, the management reinstated all the four temporaries and paid them the revised rate of wages, with retrospective effect from June, 1979. In order to deprive the casual and temporary workers of any future claim for permanency, the vouchers for the wages of these workers were not prepared in their names but made either in the name of the supervisor of the Mukadam. On the union’s insistence, these workmen are now paid their wages in their own name, thus eliminating the malpractices of underpayment by the chamchas of the company.
From Colaba, the movement spread to Gamdevi, Sun Mill Compound and to the erection sites. If the company is in need of casual or temporary workers. the workmen demand that first priority should be given to those who have already worked. Talks with the management so far have not brought any result. However, permanent workers of the company have pledged not to rest till the capitalists of Blue Star surrender.