Himachal Pradesh CITU leaders today resorted to indefinite hunger strike before the state civil secretariat in support of agitating workers of Shongtong Karcham Hydropower project.
"We are fighting for a justified cause and our main demands are proper implementation of labour and industrial laws, payment of minimum wages, deduction for provident fund and providing basic boarding andlodging facilities to workers," senior CPI (M) leader Rakesh Singha said.
"Even the court has directed the deputy Commissioner Kinnaur to settle the matter but no result has come out and the companies engaged in the project are flouting all norms with impunity as the administrator has become a mute spectator," he alleged.
Officers of provident fund department had visited the project site thrice but the company refused to give documents, he said, adding the number of affected workers is about 900.
The project workers resorted to strike in March this year but in fact they were beingvictimised since September 14, 2013, Singha alleged, adding four of them were terminated in that year whenthey tried to organise the "oppressed workers".
One of the four terminated workers, Somdev, a resident of village Khumji, had allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the bridge into the river near Powari as he had no means of livelihood, they said.
However, three others were reinstated after intervention of the labour court.
