Al-Kabeer staff strike enters 36th day

Sangareddy: The staff of Al-Kabeer Exports Pvt Ltd continued their stir on day 36 against the company's management demanding revision of wage agreement which has been pending for over 22 months.

The workers of the company, protesting outside the District Collectorate on Thursday, not only sought revision of wage agreement for permanent employees (110), but demanded minimum wages for 2,000 contract employees.

Even though the Labour Commissioner had ordered an inspection, the Deputy Commissioner and Joint Commissioner being busy with the district reorganisation works could not take up the inspection.

The workers said the management had met with Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya along with TRS MLC Saleem.
They said even permanent employees with 26 years of service were not getting more than Rs 16,000 per month. They said many a number of employees were getting around Rs 12,000 to Rs 13,000.

Contract workers get only Rs 140 per day as wages, while they should get Rs 350 as per Contract Labour Act.These contract workers come mostly from Bihar, Assam, West Bengal and even Bangladesh (illegal immigrants). ESI and PF are not applicable for these contract workers.

The protesting workers further alleged that the management was forcing them to sign agreeing that they were paid Rs 350 per day.