Bathinda: Police early Monday broke up a protest by workers seeking a revision of wages, standard working hours, and congenial conditions at a private company in Jeeda village on the Bathinda-Amritsar national highway, detaining 80 people, including 13 women.The standoff was resolved by 8pm as the firm’s management agreed to pay Rs 500 per day to semiskilled and Rs 530 to skilled workers. Earlier, semi-skilled workers of Sportking India Limited, a textile conglomerate, began demonstrating outside the factory gate, alleging they were paid less than the daily wage rate (also called the DC rate), forced into 12-hour shifts instead of the minimum 8 hours, and denied overtime pay. The company denied the allegations.Sportking Industries vice-president Shaji John told TOI, “Wages have been enhanced from Rs 451 per day to Rs 481 per day, in accordance with the DC rate. No one is forced to work for 12 hours, and those who choose to do so are paid extra. Working conditions are congenial.” The protesters, however, claimed they are only paid Rs 434 per day, much less than their demand of Rs 600 per day. “The management sought a week’s time on April 19 to resolve our issues following a protest. When we protested again on April 26, the management announced a wage increase of Rs 30 per day, which is unacceptable. As we were protesting on Monday, police took over 80 workers into custody,” said Sukhbir Singh, one of the protesters. Bhucho DSP Pritpal Singh said the workers were taken into preventive detention to maintain law and order and were released a short time later. Farmer forums BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) and Kirti Kisan Union, labourer organisation Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU), and Naujawan Bharat Sabha — along with a wing of the Punjab Students Union — claimed the police acted only after they reached the detained workers at Nandgarh and Nehiawala police stations and blocked one side of the highway near the factory. The blockade was lifted after the workers were released around 4 pm. PKMU president Jora Singh Nasrali, general secretary Lachman Sewewala, and Kirti Kisan Union functionary Rajinder Singh accused the factory management of exploiting the workers, saying, “All their demands pertaining to wages should be met.”
