The jute industry is one of the oldest industries in West Bengal, employing tens of thousands of workers. Workers in the jute industry are severely exploited and often denied even the most basic rights such as proper wages and other benefits. People's Voice has received reports about the struggle of workers in one such unit, which brings out their difficult conditions.

Workers of Lumtex Engineering Pvt. Ltd. (Mathkal) in Titagarh, 24 Parganas, have accused the management of siphoning off crores of rupees of their provident fund (PF) and gratuity, organised under the banner of the Sangrami Mazdoor Union, they have been waging a continuous struggle for their demands, over the past several months. As reported by the union, on May 12 the workers gheraoed the management for two and a half hours, after which the management was forced to give a written assurance that all details of the PF and gratuity accounts would be provided within a week.

On May 15, the workers of Sangrami Mazdoor Union were preparing to have a gate meeting. Suddenly, hooded goons of the management appeared, armed with lathis and rods and proceeded to attack the workers, and destroy the pandal. Then the goons ran inside the factory gate. Workers inside the factory, immediately staged a ‘tool-down’ protest in sympathy with their victimised comrades. The workers at the gate, led by the union leadership, marched to the Kharda police station to lodge an FIR against the management for the violent attack on the workers. However, the police refused to lodge an FIR and instead attacked the workers at the police station, leaving many badly injured. 

Twenty of these workers, including the main leaders of the union were arrested. They have been charged, amongst other things, with the murder of an official of the factory. This official was killed inside the mill shortly after the goons had attacked the gate meeting and entered the mill gate. Those arrested were not even on the spot where the murder took place. The aim of the police and management in keeping the leadership locked in jail for over 45 days on murder charges is clear – it is to break the back of the fighting union and deny the workers their rights.  

Meanwhile the factory has been shut down without any further notice.

So far, all attempts by the workers to secure justice have failed, as the government and the state administration are working hand-in-glove with the management.

Undaunted by this, the workers have resumed their struggle and have appealed to other workers’ unions and organisations to support their cause. The workers are demanding immediate release of those arrested on false charges, resumption of production at the factory, punishment for the goons guilty of attacking the workers, as well as prompt release of the PF and gratuity funds that the workers have been denied so far.