Tata Motors strike: Over 300 workers detained for bid to hold rally without police permission

After the Tata workers were let off by noon, the striking workers decided to intensify their stir and hold another protest rally on March 28.

“The workers are also planning to visit other nearby industrial areas in the city, like Santej, Naroda and Vatva, and distribute pamphlets and speak to other industrial workers regarding their plight. In the rally on March 28, we will mobilise leaders who fronted the Mandal-Becharaji SIR and Dholera SIR stir and give more strength to the Tata workers agitation as we feel that while farmers are united in their cause, the industrial workers of the state also need to come together to fight for their rights,” said Sagar Rabari, Gujarat Khedut Samaj leader.

“The Sanand mamlatdar denied permission for our protest rally on Saturday, citing that the labour department had prohibited our strike and that there was a mela at a dargah at Virochannagar nearby Viramgam road in which the police will be deployed and that it will raise law and order issues. The mamlatdar had also asked us to get nod from the Sanand police which was not given to us. While we are hopeful of a solution in fresh talks with the management on Monday, which will be hosted by the labour department, if our demands are not met, we will intensify our stir. Meanwhile, we will give signatures of all striking workers to the Tata management by Monday which they had asked for in the last tripartite talks,” said Harpalsinh Jhala, a representative of the striking workers.

“All the leaders who led the Mandal-Becharaji SIR and the Dholera SIR farmer agitation are set to join the rally in support of the Tata Motors’ workers. We want to join the farmers’ movement with the workers’ movement because they are interconnected as most of these young workers are the sons of farmers. The agitation of the Tata workers is clearly the failure of the Gujarat government’s development claims, especially after the way the BJP government had gone to town after Tata Motors shifted its Nano plant to Sanand from Singur,” said Congress state unit general secretary Lajibhai Desai.

The workers assembled opposite Sanand GIDC Gate no 2 near the Tata Motors plant site at around 11:30 am and shouted slogans.

After a few trade union leaders and Congress leader Laljibhai Desai gave speeches, police started detaining the workers and took them to the Makarba police station.

“The Sanand mamlatdar had sought for our opinion on granting of permission for the protest rally by Tata Motors’ workers. However, we did not grant it considering there would be law and order situation on this highway which is ‘accident prone’ and because there is already a terror alert declared in the state,” said P O Bhatt, dy SP in charge.

The tripartite talks held by the labour department on Friday saw Tata Motors asking workers’ leaders to get signatures of 70 % of striking workmen that they will unanimously accept the outcome of further negotiation done by the newly registered union, which was referred to as “ad hoc” by the company officials on Friday.