Puducherry:
Leaders of all trade unions here called for a bandh in the Puducherry Union Territory on February 2 to urge the territorial government to order a probe by a High Court judge into the recent death of a union leader due to alleged police action in Yanam, an enclave of Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh
In addition to a probe by a High Court judge, the unions are also seeking sanction of a solatium of Rs 25 lakhs to the family of the deceased union leader.
The decision was taken following a meeting of leaders of All India Trade Union Congress (AICTU), Centre of Indian Trade Unions(CITU), Indian National Trade Union Congress(INTUC), and unions of various other parties today, Dinesh Ponniah, Deputy General Secretary of the Puducherry state council of the All India Trade Union Congress, told PTI.
Violence had broken out in Yanam on Jan 27 when frenzied workers of a private factory, Regency Ceramics, went on the rampage after their leader M S Murali Mohan was allegedly killed in police action outside the factory. The workers attacked the residence of President (Operations) K C
Chandrasekhar, resulting in head injuries, following which he died.
Police had opened fire after using canes to disperse the violent workers who torched the vehicles of educational institutions run by the factory, electronic goods and other properties. Nine persons had suffered bullet injuries in the firing.
Ponniah also demanded that the government distribute Rs 10 lakhs to each of the nine workers of the factory who sustained bullet injuries in the police firing on Friday.
The administration should also suspend police officers responsible for the "repressive measures" against the workers who were seeking regularisation of temporary workers and reinstatement of dismissed or suspended workers, Ponniah said.