18 March, 2008250 workers reverse employers' attempt to reduce wages at Alang Shipbreaking yard.
India: Shipbreaking workers employed by Kiran Shipbreaking Pvt. Ltd at the no. 82 plot of the Alang Shipbreaking yard staged a successful one-day strike on March 14 demanding their employer restore wage rates to their former level.
Some 250 workers held demonstrations and chanted slogans at the site under the banner of the "Alang Sosiya Ship Recycling and General Workers Association", the trade union representing the Alang shipbreaking workers. The union is affiliated to the Steel, Metal & Engineering Workers' Federation of India (SMEWFI), an affiliate of the International Metalworkers' Federation.
Workers organized the strike after learning that their employer had arbitrarily cut wage rates. The 24-hour strike proved successful. The employer met with union officials and conceded to pay wages at the former rate.
For the shipbreaking workers in Alang, the victory is a significant step towards building a strong union and defending the rights of shipbreaking workers. Alang is considered one of the most dangerous shipyards in the world, where workers toil under deadly conditions without safety equipment, protection or training. Many workers do not have even the most basic protection, such as gloves or shoes. The shipbreaking industry is largely unregulated, leaving workers vulnerable to employers who repeatedly put profits before workers' health and dignity.
"The workers have now gained courage and confidence and are having awareness of their rights," said V.V.Rane, general secretary of Alang Sosiya Ship Recycling and General Workers Association, "This event will be instrumental for strengthening the collective voice of the workers and to secure justice for them in the coming days."
For the past five years, the IMF jointly with FNV Modiaal and SMEFI have carried out a number of organizing activities as part of a long-term project to organize metalworkers in the ship breaking industry. The strike's success is a testament to the ongoing work there.
A short film documenting the conditions of shipbreaking work in Bangladesh and India is available on the IMF website. Go to: www.imfmetal.org/shipbreaking