Release Pricol Trade Union Leaders Comrades Manivannan and Ramamurthy! 

An Appeal by AICCTU

Trade Union Vanguards of the Pricol trade union movement comrades Manivannan and Ramamurthy are undergoing life sentences and have already reached almost ten years of Jail term including the period of parole. AICCTU appeals to the Government of Tamil Nadu to release them on a good conduct basis.

Pricol is one of the leading automobile spare parts manufacturing MNC with its headquarters at Coimbatore, operating since 1975. It owns manufacturing units and offices in many parts of India and also in other countries and earns huge profits with the sweat of labourers. It employs about 5000 workers both men and women in Coimbatore plants. But the workers are paid low wages, poor working conditions and without any statutory rights. Workers are not allowed to join the union of their own will and choice. Even women workers have to stand in the manufacturing supply chain throughout the day which results in many health issues such as problems in spinal cord, miscarriage and even severe uterine illness in many cases.

In this backdrop, workers of the Coimbatore unit organised themselves under a trade union and affiliated it with AICCTU. The Pricol management, annoyed by the act of unionisation, refused to recognise the union denying workers their constitutional right of association. When workers remained firm with their resolve, the management of Pricol resorted to all sorts of oppressive measures including wage cut, suspension and dismissal of leaders of the union. In order to decimate the union, the Pricol management transferred 6 of main leaders of the union to its plant in Uttarakhand and dismissed 65 workers enmass without any notice or an enquiry.
The union approached up to the Supreme Court and won orders for reinstatement of all workers. But, the management illegally terminated the services of workers again defying the Supreme Court orders. In the subsequent melee, in an unfortunate incident, by accident, the Human Resources Manager died inside the factory in the year 2009. 

The pro-corporate state and the police, fabricated false cases of conspiracy and murder and conducted raids in workers’ residences which resulted in suicides of the wife of a worker Sampath and also by another worker Manikandan.

After a prolonged struggle by the workers inside the Pricol factory, on the streets and in various Judicial forums facing all odds, the Pricol Management was forced to recognise the union. With a negotiated settlement, workers benefited by way of wage increase and other statutory rights including a dignified working environment.

In the year 2015, the Coimbatore trial court ordered double life imprisonment for eight of the workers in the murder case of the HR manager. In a subsequent appeal, the High Court of Madras acquitted six of them and reduced the sentences of Comrades Manivannan and Ramamurthy to single life imprisonment citing infirmities and inconsistencies in the trial.
While the revision petition is still pending before the Supreme Court, both of them have already reached almost ten years of Jail term including the period of parole. Their family members are leading a painful life without their bread winner.

AICCTU appeals to the Government of Tamil Nadu to remit their sentences with early release for good conduct and also considering the condition of their family. Moreover, these workers are not criminals and have unblemished record in the past. They were only fabricated in a false case because of their activism in trade union movement and for demanding democratic rights. There are also precedents of remission amnesty and early release, for those who completed ten years of jail term, in several cases in the history of Tamil Nadu in the recent past. 

AICCTU has initiated a campaign for the early release of leaders of the Pricol trade union movement, comrades Manivannan and Ramamurthy. 
AICCTU also appeals to the like minded trade unions, progressive and democratic forces, human rights and civil rights organisations and political parties to stand in solidarity with the demand for remission and to pressurise the Government of Tamil Nadu to act and release both trade union leaders for their good conduct and as a measure of goodwill.

AICCTU also demands that the period of Parole shall also be included in the jail term in Tamil Nadu as in the case of several other states in the country.