Another victory for Bhopali women

Struggling for a wage for more than a decade

BHOPAL, 31 JULY 2003. The Bhopali women’s stationery workers’ union has won another court victory in its long struggle to gain a fair wage for a fair day’s work. On 18 December, 2002, the Labour Court had ruled that the union’s fifty women members should be paid the rate their jobs and experience merited, with arrears backdated to 29 April 1998. see report by Bhopal.Net. This decision was appealed by the State Government in the form of the Controller, Government Printing and Stationery Press, but last week the Industrial Court threw out the appeal and upheld the earlier decision. The women ask your help to make sure the State Government does not try to find further legal obstacles. For what you can do please read on.

The text of last week’s decision follows. Please help us bring pressure on the State Government not to seek to overturn this decision, which is the culmination of a long struggle by the women union members to gain the fair and proper rate for the work they have been doing.

Please send a fax (and covering email) to the Chief Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Vallabh Bhawan, Bhopal :
Fax No. +91-755- 2551521
Email : cs@vallabh.mp.nic.in

Suggested text:

Dear Chief Secretary,

I am writing to express my satisfaction at the decision of the Industrial Court (31 July 2003), confirming the Labour Court’s judgement of 18 December 2002 that the members of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh are to be granted the proper wages and conditions to which they have long been entitled.

I note that in upholding the earlier ruling, Judge M. B. Sharma said, “In the present case it is not disputed that that the employees have been doing the work of binding ever since their appointment. The employer has not presented any evidence of the work of the employees being unsatisfactory. Under these circumstances the order of the Labour Court, directing that their employment be regularised as Junior Binder with effect from April 1998 and they be paid arrears accordingly, is not considered to be fit for modification . . .”

I strongly urge the Madhya Pradesh Government not to add insult to the injury already long suffered by the women members of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh by filing yet another appeal. Justice has been done. The eyes of the world are on you to make sure that it is carried out.

Yours sincerely,

=================THE JUDGEMENT==================

Court : The Industrial Court, Bhopal
Case No. C A 1 / MP IR / 2003
Appelant : Controller Government Printing & Stationery Press, Maida Mill Road, Bhopal
Vs
Mrs. Rashida Bi w/o Abdul Wahid, Resident of House No. 24, PS Tallaiya, Bhopal

Before : Member Judge M B Sharma
Counsel for the appelant : Mr Narayan Singh Yadav
Counsel for counterapellant : Mr. R R Srivastava

Five page order passed on July 31, 2003

Extracts:

” The appeal was presented in response to the order of the Labour Court in case no. 442/MPIR/2000 on 18.12.02″

“In the present case it is not disputed that that the employees have been doing the work of binding ever since their appointment. The
employer has not presented any evidence of the work of the employees being unsatisfactory. Under these circumstances the order of
the Labour Court, directing that their employment be regularised as Junior Binder with effect from April 1998 and they be paid
arrears accordingly, is not considered to be fit for modification. …..”

“Hence the appeal presented by the appelants is dismissed while upholding the order of the lower court.”