VASCO: A large number of workers from Zuari Industries Limited (ZIL), Zuarinagar went on sudden strike on Tuesday morning to protest against the suspension of four contract workers (all union members) over allegations levelled by the Security Administrator Daleep Kumar (in charge of overall security of ZIL) that four workers assaulted him on Friday.
The issue however was later resolved after the intervention of All India Trade Union Congress leader Suhas Naik, Joint Mamlatdar Vinod Dalal who met the ZIL officials and the strike was called off in the afternoon following assurance to revoke the suspension of workers.
According to the aggrieved workers, when they were holding a meeting outside the ZIL gate (near ‘DAP gate’), on Friday evening to chalk out plans for the celebration of Workers Day (on May 1), Kumar interrupted the meeting by verbally abusing the workers for displaying the union banners near the factory gate and premises surrounding the factory.
He even allegedly tore the union banners due to which the workers and Kumar entered into some verbal argument which lasted for few minutes and later all of them got dispersed.
“On Monday when the workers were reporting for duty, the security staff informed four of our union members including Dharmendar Yadav, Baburai Kudtarkar, Babu Akki and Datta Vernekar that they all have been suspended by the contractor pending an inquiry against them for allegedly assaulting Kumar on Friday evening,” a union leader told Herald.
“As we all were present at the site on Friday, we all know that the allegation levelled by Kumar is false. Therefore, we all decided to go on a strike until the management revoked its suspension order and instead suspended Kumar who has been harassing the workers every day,” he added.
