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.
Following the FIR filed at the Ranipool police station, one person has been arrested. As sources inform, the police is on the lookout for others named in the FIR as well.
A total of 6 people have been named in the FIR filed by Bhupesh Patel of Sun Pharma and they have been charged with rioting, unlawful assembly, wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation. The six so charged are Kumar Subba, Passang Lama, Bikash Chettri, S Lepcha, Jojo and R. Gurung. Among them, the police is informed to have picked up Jojo whose real name is Damber Pradhan, of Namchi.
As per company officials the accused intimidated company officials over a period of time and on 28 December, 2011, allegedly locked the company gates thus preventing movement of labourers, employees and officials.
This, the company officials claim, caused huge loss to the company.
It has been further alleged that problems arose ever since the installation of biometric system to record attendance of workers and employees. In fact, it is claimed by the company that with the installation of biometric system, large differences have been noticed between the workers supplied and the bills drawn by the labour contractors.
It has also been alleged that some persons obtained an illegal undertaking from the company officials through intimidation and coercion.
On the other hand, the workers and employees have put forward their grievances and demands to the company for redressal and have gone on strike to pressurize the company to look into them. The company has so far not given any assurances and has in fact threatened to pull out if this continues.
These grievances include a hike in salaries, medical benefits, abolishment of night duty for women and bus service for workers who live far off, among others. It is informed that today, around 60 to 70 workers came to work and to put in their attendance. However, it is also alleged by workers that some of them are being forced to attend by their contractors. They claim that the management is against local interests and has in fact threatened that they will shut shop.