ASDLF demands proper enquiry into the Sun Pharma mishap

GANGTOK, 02 Sept: Following a visit to the Sun Pharma complex at Setipool where five labourers were crushed to death in a boundary wall collapse on Thursday night and Central Referral Hospital here [where one of the injured labourer is recuperating], the All Sikkim Democratic Labour Front [ASDLF] held an emergency meeting on 31 August.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of its vice president BM Ramudamu.
In the meeting, ASDLF condoled the demise of five workers in the mishap that took place at the Sun Pharma construction site on 30 August.
As per an ASDLF press release, the meeting resolved that while it is too early to comment on the exact cause of the mishap, heavy rainfall as a possible cause can be ruled out. The reasons given for this were that the wall was newly constructed [only around 6 months old] and was not hit by any flood or heavy boulders, it was not flooded or collapsed from the base, the foundation was still intact which points towards defective or poor quality work and the foundation/base is not displaced or flooded.
It was noted that the temporary sheds for workers, on one of which the wall collapsed, were obviously unsafe and should not have been kept at the present site. The release adds that it was also learnt that the workers were neither registered with the Labour Department nor with the Buildings and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board and alleges that “it is nothing but exploitation of workers and is a crime”.
The meeting finally resolved to request the concerned authorities/ departments for early and fair enquiry into the tragic incident to bring the culprits to book, the injured worker Hemant Kumar to be given satisfactory treatment and compensated accordingly and early justice delivered to the family of the 5 diseased workers of Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal with their rightful compensation as per Employees Compensation Act.

Sun Pharma assures compensation for wall collapse victims

GANGTOK, 02 Sept: Sun Pharma Sikkim has assured a sum of Rs 2 lakh as ex-gratia compensation for each of the deceased contract workers who lost their lives in the boundary wall collapse of 30 August.

A press release from Sun Pharma informs that in addition, injured workers have been offered Rs 20,000 each and appropriate arrangements have been made to take care of medical bills related to the mishap.

Arrangements were also made to escort the bodies of the workers to their village in West Bengal, the release adds.

District admn mediates to resolve Sun Pharma labour crisis; Company agrees to five of seven demands

STOP-PRESS
GANGTOK, 03 Jan: The East District Administration has intervened in the labour unrest at the Sun Pharma establishment at Setipool in East Sikkim. The workers of the company have placed a seven-point charter of demands and have been on strike since 28 December 2011 in support of these demands. Matters had come to a head with the two sides taking a more confrontational position [read accompanying news-report headlined “Sun Pharma accuses 6 of rioting and intimidation”]. This brought the district administration into the picture as a mediator and a meeting was convened this afternoon between representatives from all concerned sections.

Sun Pharma accuses 6 of rioting and intimidation; 1 arrested

EMPLOYEES CLAIM GRIEVANCES WHILE SUN PHARMA THREATENS TO SHUT SHOP

GANGTOK, 03 Jan: Today was the deadline given by the employees and workers at Sun Pharma, the pharmaceutical company at Setipool, who have been on a lock down since 29 December, 2011. Even as the workers have intimated that they will continue with the lock down if their demands and grievances are not looked into, company officials have gone on the offensive and apart from threatening to pull out of Sikkim and lay roots somewhere else, they have also filed an FIR against a number of people, all believed to be workers of the company.