When the workers of Prism Johnson Ltd. RMC (India) Division reported for their morning shift at 8 AM on 19.07.2024 in their two factory plants in Bengaluru, they were shocked to find the factory gates closed and a “Notice of Closure” stuck on the gate. This occurred after the workers on their night shift left the factory premises at 6 AM! The workers were not allowed inside the factory premises by bouncers hired by the company, even when the workers appealed saying they wanted to speak to the management!
The actions of the company is illegal and anti-workers. Contrary to what the management has stated, there is no “closure”, as the manufacturing activities continue. Such so-called closure has been done without taking the mandatory permission under law and is completely illegal. The so-called “closure” is illegal, in violation of labour laws, and done only with an intention to remove the unionized workers. It is to be noted that there are 107 workers in the two plants in Bengaluru and there are 25 workers employed in the establishment in Mangalore.
The Karnataka General Labour Union (affiliated to AICCTU) has been unionizing the workers in Prism Johnson Ltd. RMC (India) Division for the past two decades, during which time, the workers have been able to successfully consolidate themselves as a workforce and partake in collective bargaining for the rights and dignified employment in the company. While there were many permanent workers, much of the work was also being outsourced to contract workers through sham contractors.
These so-called contract workers were demanding permanent jobs. The company which has employed these workers for several years now, has, without even speaking to the union and its workers, have unilaterally thrown them to the streets!
After being disillusioned with CITU, RMC workers came into AICCTU fold in 2007, and since then have been the backbone of the party in Karnataka. They not only helped to expand AICCTU work to RMC Mangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad, but to other ready-mix companies such as RDC and Lafarge. Through their active role, thousands of construction workers were recruited to the union.
The RMC workers have played a commendable role - right from organizing other sections of workers to participating in political programmes with full vigour and spirit to financial contributions – in advancing our profile and image in Bangalore. In the context of demonetization and new forms of restructuring of industry, the companies were reeling under tremendous changes that led to greater struggles of working class.
One of the struggles taken up by these workers, they struck work for 37 days, which finally concluded in an agreement between the workers and the company. This entire struggle was led by workers themselves and we could unleash all their initiative. This had been the case despite being a recognised union that regularized two thirds of contract workers, entered into two agreements and negotiating the third one. Lafarge was at the verge of running into a major trouble because of anti-worker approach of our rival union in the company, but somehow got averted by our unconventional approach and got concluded in a wage agreement. After demonetization and COVID, and about the same time as the anti-worker Labour Codes were introduced, the RMC management used it as an opportunity to clamp down on workers’ rights, by trying to illegally close the factory and transfer them. However, there was a strong opposition to assault on right to unionise.
The workers have been sitting at the factory gates in protest and demanding their jobs back. The police, in connivance with the company officials have been trying to oust the workers, so that the equipment inside the factory plant can be shifted out. Despite these challenges, the workers have been standing their ground and fighting against the injustice meted out to them. On 12.08.2024, the workers, along with other AICCTU affiliated union members gheraoed the corporate office. The union has sought the intervention of the Labour Department and the conciliation process is on-going, whereas the union has also separately sought permission from the Labour Department to prosecute the company for their illegal actions.
Managements have now been emboldened by the new Labour Codes of the BJP-led Central Government, which promotes “hire and fire” policy and where the employers enjoy zero-accountability. Right to unionise, collective bargaining power, dignified employment and strike have all been curtailed in the Labour Codes. Workers of Prism Johnson Ltd. RMC (India) Division are the latest set of workers to face such assault of the anti-worker employers and its government stooges! Let us stand with the workers and demand justice!
