Sikkim Pharma Units Deny Workers Their Basic Rights

This is a picture of Asha Subba, employed with Sharda Boiron Laboratories Limited, in Majitar, Sikkim. While working at a machine in the factory  two of her fingers of the right hand were severed. She was admitted in hospital. Co workers claim that she was given less than Rs 2500 for her treatment.

In yet another case Ashok Thapa, employed at Sun Pharma was seriously injured. Like Asha Subba, he lost and lost two fingers of right hand when his hand was struck in a machine while working in the factory. According to reports Ashok was cleaning the machine when another employee switched the machine on. Ashok was lucky his coworkers rallied in favour organizing a strike demanding that he be paid full compensation.

A Few months earlier Lachit Lepcha, a young girl, employed with Macleod was killed when she was crushed under the lift in the factory. The young girl was working the night shift. The company managed to hush up the incident after paying the girls family a small sum of money.

People in the know claim that such accidents occur  almost  regularly in almost every factory in the state. They go unreported because workers fear they would lose their employment. Most of the workers come from poor families and are heavily dependent of the salaries earned. Pharmaceutical companies are taking advantage of the workers paying them less than sustenance wage while denying them their basis rights as workers.  

Exploitation of the Worst Kind

Exploitation, of the kind witnessed in the earlier years of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, is evident today in the Pharmaceuticals units in Sikkim. During the Industrial Revolution factory owners indulged in the worst inhuman practices in their greed to amass wealth and power. Pharmaceuticals companies in the state are following their footsteps.

“Workers were often ‘abandoned from the moment that an accident occurs; their wages are stopped, no medical attendance is provided, and whatever the extent of the injury, no compensation is afforded’ according to Michael Sadler, Member of Parliament during the period.. His report to the British Parliament reveals that  injured workers would typically lose their jobs and also receive no financial compensation for their injury to pay for much needed health care.”

Aided and abetted by the ruling government and their supporters, workers in Pharmaceuticals companies work under pathetic conditions. They are an exploited  lot.. Greed and inhuman behavior are the hallmarks of the owners of these units.

                                                                                                                                                           According to state officials there are at present 54 Pharmaceuticals units operating in the state. Seven more are reported to be in various stages of construction, awaiting commissioning. In the lure to amass wealth the major Pharmaceutical companies have set up multiple units to take advantage of the many concessions offered by government.                                                                      

Inhuman Working Conditions                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     A review of the working conditions of workers in the units in Sikkim reveals the anti labour policy being followed by them. These include:

Sub-standard wages  and allowances: Workers have publicly complained that the wages being offered are well below those payable under the law. These salaries are almost 50 percent less than what is being paid to regularly workers who are mostly recruited from outside the state.

Frequent delays in payment of monthly salaries: There is frequent delay in the payment of salaries. It is claim that in most cases the company does not even bother to explain the cause of delay. When asked the reply is rude and threatening

Denial of Statutory leave: The workers claim that they do not get paid leave and have to work long hours every day. Some workers have claimed that they are not even  paid overtime. When paid it is after several months and after several requests. The workers have also alleged that the management had deducts their wages for availing a paid-leave

Denied leave even to attend to personal problems like sudden illness while at work: Workers are not allowed to leave the work place to attend to illness caused by working conditions in the factory. Salary is deducted if they absent themselves.                                         

Medical facilities not available in the factory to attend to accident cases of sudden illness:  Workers from several units claimed that  no medical facilities were available in the factory to attend to emergencies. In most cases the injured worker was sent to a doctor unescorted. The worker has to bear his or her own medical expenses.

There is no provision for medical leave: According to several workers they are not entitled to medical leave. If they are sick and do not attend work their salary is deducted. In many cases extended leave leads to a sack

Women workers are treated with disrespect and denied their rights: Many women workers have said that the senior officers are rude and crude in their behavior towards women employees. They alleged that the management had misbehaved with the women employees, and had forced them to do manual work designated for men.. There are forced to work in night shifts.  Their shifts are frequently changed without due notice causing them serious problems.

No provision for transport: Workers, particularly women workers, claim that they are not provided transport. Women workers have complained that they are denied transport to return home after late night duties. This not only causes problems but is a serious security problem.

Rising Number of Protests

Workers protesting outside Intas Factory

In recent months there have been a string of protests in almost all the units. There have been similar open protests at Sun Pharma, Macleod, and Zydus over various issues. At Macleod a young female worker died an accident in a lift. The management managed to get away by making a small one time payment

Workers, across the industry, claim that the working conditions in these units are inhuman. They said they were forced to work under strained conditions. Many pointed out that they are forced to give in to the dictates of the management for fear of losing their jobs. The management, mostly brought in from outside the state, enjoy almost all the benefits available under the various labour laws according to the workers.

Demand to Remove Labour Contractors

According to public opinion leaders the problem faced by the workers is the result of the recruitment of labour through Labour Contractors. The workers have repeatedly requested the government to  abolish the Labour contractors who take a percentage from the salary of the workers. “We want the company to pay our salary directly to us not to the contractors who keeps the percentage of our hard earned money”

A few months ago the state government promised that it would do away with the recruitment through Labour Contractors. Workers claim that despite this promise nothing has been done. Companies continue to recruit workers through contractors. Government inaction,say the workers, is because almost all the contractors belong to the ruling party.

Even though there is considerable resentment among the workers companies continue their inhuman policies. Says a public opinion leader the company management does not fear government action because they have alright paid protection money to the ruling party and continue to pay hafta to the local goons who help to keep the workers in line.