PRICOL workers are being penalized for the ‘crime’ of showing solidarity with Tamil Nadu’s crisis-ridden farmers! Workers of PRICOL Limited went on a one-day strike on 25.04.2017 as a part of the call given by all Central Trade Unions in solidarity with the fighting farmers of Tamil Nadu in the background of the acute agrarian crisis. As punishment, the PRICOL Management illegally deducted 8 days wages for the 840 Pricol workers who participated in the solidarity strike.
In protest, 16 workers in Coimbatore and another 6 in Chennai are on indefinite hunger strike from 19 June 2017 onwards, demanding the intervention of the Government of Tamil Nadu under ID Act 1947 Section 10 (1) and 10 B to ensure withdrawal of the 8-day penal-wage-cut. The hunger striking workers were met and supported by Balamurugan of PUCL and anti-nuclear activist and AIPF Campaign Committee member SP Udayakumar as well as leaders and activists of various Central Trade Unions.
After 9-days of hunger strike the condition of striking workers has started deteriorating even as Tamilnadu government remains nonresponsive.
There have been solidarity protests in support of PRICOL workers at many places. Workers and peasants held a day-long hunger strike at Thanjavur in support of the PRICOL workers. Activists of the SIDCUL Shramik Morcha of Uttarakhand submitted a memorandum via the DM of Udhamsinghnagar, to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister demanding his intervention to ensure withdrawal of the illegal penal wage-cut.
The protesting PRICOL workers also demanded justice for AICCTU’s Comrade Zafar Khan who was lynched at Rajasthan; release of Lucknow University students arrested for protesting Yogi Adityanath’s visit; and release of the Bhim Army leader Chandrashekhar Azad ‘Raavan.’
