L&T Workers Strike at Puducherry

Larsen and Toubro workers in Puducherry are on war path demanding equal wages for equal work and abolition of contract  labour system in production. All four units in Puducherry are on total strike since 15 March 2022. The strike is on for more than 16 days (as on 31 Mar 2022) is still continuing. The strike is backed by all categories of workers, including 150 regular employees led by other unions.

Larsen and Toubro Ltd has four construction material production units in Puducherry which employs more than 1000 workers in production who are basically guised contract labourers. In strict legal terms, they are all de facto regular employees as there are no licensed contractors in production activities and the said workers are employed for more than 5 - 25 years.

These guised contract labourers have been demanding equal wages for equal work, double wages for overtime work, proper deduction of ESI & EPF contributions and remittance of the same to concerned authorities without any default, regularisation of workers who have completed more than 2 years of service, etc., for the last several years and their demands were never heeded by the management.

Neither the L&T management posses any valid registration certificate nor the sham (camouflage) contractors hold any valid license.

The non permanent workers,(alleged contract labourers) formed L&T Jananayaka thozhilar sangam (AICCTU) some four years back and continue to demand statutory rights. The L&T management had not considered the just demands of the workers till now. Finally, the union was forced to issue indefinite tools down notice to the management. The indefinite tools down had begun from 15th March and is continuing till date. All workers are on a stay-in strike.

Mean while, three rounds of negotiations were held before labour authorities. The management refused to concede the advise of labour authorities and continue to resort to unfair labour practices. The company, despite being a multinational company, is not abiding by the laws of the land and continue to violate all applicable labour laws. They don't even pay minimum wages. Moreover the workers are forced to work on a 12-hours shift.

The management has recently approached the High Court to evict striking workers from inside the factory while deceiving workers and labour authorities with false promises of resolving the problem soon.

The workers are firm and resolved to continue their struggle until their demands are met.