Labour unrest at Regency Ceramics in Yanam, 25 km from Kakinada, took a tragically violent turn on Friday and resulted in the death of trade union leader M. Murali Mohan and the company’s president, (operations and maintenance), K.C. Chandrasekhar.
Twelve workers were injured in police firing and 40 other persons were injured in lathicharge.
The usually quiet Yanam enclave belonging to the Union Territory of Puducherry and adjacent to East Godavari district saw an unusual outbreak of violence as angry workers burnt 30 buses and other vehicles belonging to the company and also a diesel bunk. They destroyed furniture in the company offices as well as in Yanam town after they heard of the death of the union leader after he was arrested by the police.
Sources said the Yanam Regency Ceramics Workers and Staff Union was formed six months ago with G.V. Harsha Kumar, the MP from Amalapuram, as honorary chairman.
To mark its displeasure at the formation of the union, the company reportedly stopped two months’ salary of the workers.
The workers demanded a wage hike and regularisation of services of temporary workers. In retaliation, the management terminated the services of five employees, including the union president Matcha Murali Mohan. The workers went on strike on January 2, seeking the reinstatement of the dismissed employees and have been staging relay fast at the Bypass Road on National Highway 214.
The strike has not been total, with 100 or more employees reporting for work.
On Friday morning, some of the striking workers led by Murali Mohan went to the main gate to dissuade the loyal workers from entering the factory. The police resorted to a lathicharge to disburse the crowd and took nearly 100 workers, including Murali Mohan, into custody.
The police allegedly attacked Murali Mohan in chest several times with a lathi. Sources said that the union leader complained of severe chest pain and requested the police to take him to hospital urgently. However, the police reportedly did not respond promptly. He was taken to hospital only when he vomited and fainted in the police station. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.