15 workers forced to work without wages rescued in Mangalore

15 workers forced to work without wages rescued in Mangalore

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore Today 18, 2011 : A team led by Ravichandra Naik, the tahsildar of Mangalore, and Venkatesh Sindihatti, the state assistant labour commissioner, rescued 15 people including a woman who were forced to work like bonded labourers for more than 45 days by a company associated with the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL) at Porkoki, Bajpe early this morning.

The team was tipped off by Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samithi, a trade union of agricultural workers from West Bengal. The rescued workers had migrated from Purulia and Bankura in West Bengal in search of work and a better life.

 

 

Last August, Dibesh Das, a contractor in Purulia had recruited 15 workers from Layekdi and Lakhanpur in Purulia, Katharia, and Bankura. He then handed them over to Bholanath Singh, a labour contractor from Burdwan, who in turn sent them to Mangalore with his employee Sanjay Singh. The workers were then put into construction work.

The 15 workers believed that they could go back home with some money after working for a few months because the contractor had promised them a monthly salary of Rs. 4000 with food, shelter, and other facilities for 8 hours of work per day. However, when they reached the site, they were treated like bonded labourers and not even allowed to contact their people back home. Instead, when the family members wanted to know about them, they were threatened by the contractor.

Relating his experiences, Muchiram Kaibartha said that they were forced to work for 14 – 16 hours per day without any wages, adding that they were put to work at 7:00 a.m. in the morning and allowed to go back only at 9:00 p.m. He said that the contractor thrashed him when he complained about the ill treatment a few days back.

Biplav Gode, another labourer, said that they were not allowed to leave the workplace because contractor kept a sharp eye on them, and whenever they complained, they would be verbally abused and assaulted. He also said that the contractor would not give them their monthly wages because he had “bought” them from another contractor for Rs. 4 lakh and that they could get only Rs. 70 per week.

Related his tale of woe, Bhim Goswamy said that he wife Urmila, the only woman in the group has fallen sick, but he cannot afford to take her to the doctor. He had believed that he would earn in Mangalore, but never thought that he would be treated as a bonded labourer. He said that the workers want to get out of this hell. He said that the employers had not provided minimum treatment for Urmila who has been suffering from neck pain and stomach pain for several days.

An ailing Sanjay Kaibarta said that he cannot see anything after 5 p.m., but was still forced to take cement mix to upper floors till late night.

Later, Tahsildar Ravichandra Naik spoke to the media and said that the workers were forced to work for no wages by contractor Sanjay Singh, but they cannot be called bonded labourers. Stating that the rescue team could not find any sign of human rights violation, he said that medical examination has not revealed any sign of physical torture on the labourers. 

 

Speaking on the occasion, Sindihatti said that there definitely was violation of labour law and added that the district administration will make arrangements for their travel if they express a desire to go home after getting their pending wages.