Govt recognises workers’ union of Tata Motors

“We met with the worker’s union representatives and the company officials separately today and have arrived at a formula which we hope will be agreeable to both. We will present the same Friday at a tripartite talks between both the parties,” said MS Patel, assistant commissioner of labour department.

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Hitesh Rabari, one of the worker’s representatives told this paper, “We had applied for recognition of our union in December 2015 and it has finally been granted today. I was informed of this at a meeting with labour department officials. We are ready to meet with the company officials Friday. While we have always been ready for settlement with the company, however our demand for the reinstatement of 26 employees stays. We have got a nod from the Sanand mamlatdar to hold the mega protest rally on March 19 as planned but they have asked for the clearance of the Sanand GIDC police which the police have not communicated to us till now.”

Incidentally, workers had earlier said that during the tripartite meet hosted by the Ahmedabad Collector Rajkumar Beniwal on March 11, he had asked the labour department to hurry with the procedures of recognising the trade union and assured them of its completion this month.

While the labour department officials did not share details on the formula arrived at to bring both parties to a settlement, they said that they are hopeful that a compromise will be reached Friday a day ahead of the mega protest rally planned by the workers at Sanand GIDC Gate no 2.

Asim Roy, advisor to the Tata Nano workers, says that farmers and local community of Sanand have also shown interest in joining the agitation. “If they get a permission to hold the dharna (protest rally), then we will abide by the rules otherwise we will follow civil disobedience and will mobilise and gather people from local communities in Sanand in large numbers and protest at Sanand GIDC,” he said.