Seven hurt in clash between workers, security guards at Steel Strips Wheels

Jamshedpur, April 13: At least seven persons were injured when casual workers of Steel Strips Wheels Limited, a manufacturer of automotive steel wheels in Govindpur police station area near Telco, clashed with the company’s security guards over a dispute on union formation on Wednesday morning. The company is an ancillary of Tata Motors Ltd.

The premises turned into a battlefield early in the morning when a section of casual workers led by Rajiv Kumar Pandey was preventing co-workers from entering the company premises on A-shift.

Pandey along with his five to six supporters had stopped other casual workers at the company gate and was collecting the signatures of the fellow casual workers, apparently for forming a trade union body of casual workers.

As the company gate was crowded with casual workers, about 12 company security guards came out of the gate and caught hold of Pandey and dragged him inside the company premises.

Sources revealed that after taking Pandey, the security guards beat him for creating unrest. The security guards had also thrashed those who had followed Pandey inside the company premises.

As the news of getting their leaders thrashed inside the company, about 200 casual workers who were outside the gate got angry and stormed the company premises.

Sources revealed that the casual workers first ransacked the security control room and subsequently set a security rest-room and first-aid unit on fire. As the situation went out of control officer-in-charge of the Govindpur police station, Dayanand Kumar rushed to the company.

Soon after deputy superintendent of police (City) Animesh Nathani arrived at the spot followed by SDO, Dhalbhum, Suraj Kumar.

Soon fire-tenders had also started to come to the spot and doused the fire. The police had, however, picked up the injured workers, including Pandey and rushed them to the MGM Medical College Hospital for treatment. Two of the company employees who had also sustained injuries were treated at Tata Motors Hospital.

Pandey, who was undergoing treatment at the MGM Medical College Hospital, said that wanted to form a trade union body so that the casual workers are not be exploited by the management. But as they were engaged in a signature campaign outside the company gate, the management used pressure against them and assaulted them.

Ajay Sharma, HR Head of Steel Strips Wheels Ltd, however, claimed that Pandey is an outsider and he is not even a casual worker. Sharma alleged that Pandey was trying to instigate the casual workers.

Dhalbhum SDO, Suraj Kumar who had also visited the troubled spot said that the administration is carrying out an investigation into the circumstances that led to the violent protest.

�We are keeping an eye on the situation. We are trying to get the footage of CCTV cameras installed at the company gate so as to ascertain the exact reason behind the violence.

We have taken statement of the casual workers’ representative Rajiv Kumar Pandey and also from the company management,” said Kumar.