AICCTU organized a Convention for Justice and Rights on 10th November 2013 for the falsely implicated and incarcerated workers from NOIDA, who were put in jail following the historic all trade union strike held on 21st and 22nd February 2013. The Convention took place
Apart from arresting workers protesting in the strike, the Noida administration and UP government also picked up workers from the AICCTU office in Sector 10, from their homes, or some just going about their work. About 200 workers were arrested, implicated in false cases and thrown into jails for months. 117 workers were slapped with false cases of the order of attempt to murder and robbery. Every worker who has managed to get released from jail has had to spend to the tune of two lakh rupees. Ironically the administration has not been able to produce a single shred of evidence, including the alleged video clipping in possession, through which workers were apparently identified.
The inspiring Convention was held outside the AICCTU’s Sector-10 office, which had been the site of the police terror, and where the police had tried to continue intimidation for months. Defying the intimidation, the workers have renovated the office.
The Convention was conducted by Comrade Shivji. Workers and activists released from jail including the AICCTU organiser and CPI(ML) state committee member Comrade Shyam Kishor, Comrade Hare Ram Yadav, and others addressed the Convention, as well as CPI(ML) State Committee member Aslam Khan, AICCTU National Secretary Rajiv Dimri, AICCTU State President VKS Gautam, and other AICCTU leaders and activists.
A Struggle Committee of the NOIDA workers was formed – the Noida Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti - which will spearhead the movement for getting justice for the incarcerated workers in particular, and raising labour rights issues generally.
The resolutions passed by the Convention are:
1) This convention condemns the baseless arrest of all the workers that were arrested following the strike on the 21st and 22nd Feb, 2013. It demands the dropping of all charges and the paying of compensation to the affected workers.
2) It demands the implementation of minimum wages, as mandated by the government, and labour laws in Gautam Budh Nagar.
3) It condemns the communal conflagration in Muzaffarnagar and calls for standing against the communal polarization engaged in by the BJP and SP. It demands that strict punishment be awarded to those responsible for unleashing violence, and that the victims be rehabilitated.
4) This convention calls for participation in the March to Parliament, as called by the central trade unions, on 12th December, 2013.
5) This convention resolves to bring all the workers in Gautam Budh Nagar together. It resolves to initiate a movement in the district for worker’s rights under the banner of AICCTU.
