Appeal to Advani to contain Shiv Sena union’s terror tactics

INTUC’s working president Vijay Kamble is now spearheading a movement of all non-Sena-BJP trade unions against the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena (BKS). He has charged the BKS with alleged "terrorist tactics" to increase its membership among the city’s industrial units. He believes industrial relations in the city could enter into a prolonged period of turmoil and add to the law and order problem if the BKS is allowed free rein.

Kamble told The Indian Express thatfollowing Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s instructions to the BKS to "capture unions which may be with Opposition parties", Sena activists have been intimidating workers at various manufacturing units since the first week of July. He has called upon Advani to despatch a "high-powered committee" to Maharashtra to study the fear that prevails among the city’s trade unions and workers, following some threats and other tactics with workers affiliated to other unions.

"We are going directly to the Union Home Minister because there is no point in appealing to the Chief Minister. Everybody knows the State Cabinet is just a dummy. The police stand by doing nothing and we now fear for our workers’ lives," Kamble said.

Accordingly, various trade unions, affiliated to the Communist and other parties, will hold a meeting next week (July 22) to chalk out a programme of action.

The programme apart from resistance to the BKS’ alleged threats, will also bring pressure upon the State Government through morchas,dharnas, and other peaceful means, Kamble said.

"We have appealed to Sharad Pawar to draw the Prime Minister’s attention to this at his meeting with Vajpayee in New Delhi," he said. Although Kamble has named several Sena corporators, vibhag and shakha pramukhs in his letter to Advani, BKS executives denied that they had been using force to enroll members. "Workers who are dissatisfied with other unions come to us on their own. That’s how our membership is growing. Are they mad to seek us out or are we stupid to turn them down," BKS Union Secretary Albert Pinto said.

Kamble disagrees. "They came with the intention of dragging out the first shift workers on the specific day (July 6 at a Tata Steel factory). When the workers stayed indoors, they shook their fists and threatened to "see them later". They made a similar attempt at a Crompton Greaves factory, a couple of days later but were shouted out by the workers."

Kamble’s complaint becomes significant in light of the fact that Pawarand other Congress leaders have gradually been building a case against the State Government for the breakdown of law and order. Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chhagan Bhujbal, has compiled a "charge-sheet"against the State Government which lists "one murder a day" of the common citizen in Maharashtra.

Kamble adds that the alleged terrorism by the BKS should be taken seriously as "it appears to be an organised campaign, for they came to the Tata company in 35 `loaded’ cars".

While the nature of the load is unspecified, Kamble denied that his workers were dissatisfied with the INTUC functioning at the particular plant or generally with other unions

Pinto however disagrees. "Not for nothing do we have with us unions at all major industrial outlets, hospitals, and five-star hotels. Workers are perhaps satisfied with us while they are probably not with INTUC and other similar unions. That is their problem, not ours," he says.