On Tuesday, a protest march organized by the Surathkal committee converged at the main gate of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (H.P.C.L.) bottling unit, demanding the reinstatement of four female contract workers who were dismissed without cause.
The demonstration began at Ganeshpura, Katipalla, and proceeded along the highway before culminating at the H.P.C.L. entrance. After the march, a rally was held where CITU state president Meenakshi Sundaram addressed the gathered crowd, stressing that the issue extends beyond four women to the entire contract‑labour segment across the country.
Sundaram warned that a growing number of contract workers face job insecurity, and if their future is not secured, the nation itself will suffer. He highlighted that the lack of stable employment is eroding the quality of work and fueling anxiety among a large portion of the workforce. “If four women in Surathkal are left without work, billions of contract workers nationwide are on the brink of unemployment,” he said.
He also criticized the government’s inaction, questioning why Prime Minister Modi or Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have not intervened to protect these workers, while large corporations continue to dismiss staff arbitrarily. Sundaram pointed out that the central government has introduced new labour laws, yet they are not being applied to reinstate the dismissed employees at H.P.C.L., a public‑sector undertaking under the same administration.
Speaking after Sundaram, Munir Katipalla, the Surathkal committee convenor and CPI(M) district secretary, reiterated that contract workers in the region deserve dignity and legal protection. He accused H.P.C.L. management of violating local labour statutes by terminating employees without notice, leaving them uncertain about basic livelihood.
The protest attracted representatives from various groups, including the DFI district president D.M. Bhat, J. Balakrishna Shetty, B.K. Imtiaz, as well as members of CITU, CPI(M), Janata women’s organisations, progressive thinkers, and farmer unions. Following a complaint to the Labour Commissioner, the company’s director was asked to consider re‑employment of the four women. H.P.C.L. offered half‑salary positions, a proposal the workers rejected, insisting on full reinstatement and regular wages.
Image: varthabharati.in
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati DK