New Delhi, Jun 3 (PTI) Workers arrested during the April labourers unrest in Noida allege they were physically assaulted in police custody, framed with fabricated evidence and booked under multiple charges to crush their movement, the CPI(M) claimed on Wednesday after a party delegation met those recently released on bail after spending nearly a month in jail.
The delegation, led by CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby, met some workers involved in the movement, many of whom have also been dismissed from their jobs following the protests.
The workers narrated their experiences to the delegation, which also included CPI(M) Polit Bureau members R Arun Kumar and Tapan Sen, Rajya Sabha member V Sivadasan and other party leaders.
The delegation also interacted with workers from Fabstract Clothing, where around 50 employees reportedly joined the trade union movement following protests in April. Representatives of workers from Vibracoustic India also met the CPI(M) leaders and alleged that managements routinely attempt to prevent workers from forming unions, while employees who assume leadership roles in such efforts are often dismissed.
Speaking after the meetings, Baby criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for what he described as police violence against workers and filing of false cases. He also alleged that authorities denied permission to the delegation to visit workers who remain in jail.
“For the last few days we have been trying to get permission through our Member of Parliament V Sivadasan to visit the workers in jail, but the authorities informed us that higher officials had rejected the request,” Baby said.
He alleged that some jailed workers were unable to effectively pursue bail applications or secure adequate legal assistance, amounting to a denial of their fundamental rights.
The CPI(M) said it would continue to provide legal assistance and political support to the workers.
The party maintained that the arrests, dismissals and restrictions faced by workers reflected continuing attacks on labour rights, while asserting that workers’ unity and collective resistance remained the strongest response to such actions. PTI AO ZMN
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