INTUC accused of collusion with mill owners
PHAGWARA: Hundreds of workers from JCT Mills, engaged in a prolonged struggle to claim their pending dues, convened a stormy meeting today in Thapar Colony today. Frustrated with the alleged inaction and collusion of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) with mill management, the workers unanimously decided to form a new union, naming it the JCT Mill Mazdoor Union. Ravi Sidhu was elected its president.
The workers criticized INTUC’s local leadership, accusing them of failing to advocate for their rights and instead siding with mill owners. They alleged that INTUC’s Phagwara unit president and officials had compromised by helping a select few workers secure partial dues while leaving the majority of the 3, 000-strong workforce in the lurch.
Citing a specific instance, the workers noted that when thousands of them gathered at the mill gates on November 12 to press for an FIR against the mill owners, INTUC’s local president was conspicuously absent, further confirming suspicions of collusion.New Union Leadership Announced
The newly-formed union, supported in writing by approximately 1, 500 workers, appointed Ravi Sidhu as president. Sidhu subsequently announced the core leadership team:Chairman: Sunil Pandey, Vice President: Shardanand Singh
General Secretary: Naval Kishore Singh, Secretary: Anil Mishra, Treasurer: Dharmendra Singh, Media In-Charge: Madan Kumar Mishra
The executive committee also includes Tarun Sharma Lucky, Jasvir Jassi, Ram Ishwar Kumar, and several others. Women leaders Pushpa Devi, Geeta Tiwari, and Riddhi Devi have also been included to ensure broader representation.
Ravi Sidhu pledged to fight relentlessly for the workers’ rights. "We will not allow even a needle to leave the mill premises until every worker receives their rightful dues, " he asserted. He vowed to continue pressuring the police and administration to take action against all accused mill officials, following the recent FIRs against mill owners Sameer Thapar and Mukulika Sinha.
Issuing a stern warning to mill management, Sidhu said, “Anyone entering the mill to remove goods will do so at their own risk. They will leave only with the workers’ permission.”
The formation of the new union marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between JCT Mill workers and its management.