Category: Latest posts

Thousands of workers of the Vedanta Aluminum Refining Plant in Lanjigarh, Orissa, went on the war path, when the company suddenly declared their services terminated. About 35 contract workers were reported arrested.

Farmers of Gorakhpur-Kumharia village in Fatehabad district of Haryana, where the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NIPCL) plans to set up a power plant, are up in arms against the government's move to acquire their land. On August 17, hundreds of farmers submitted a memorandum to the District Revenue Officer asking the authorities to acquire alternative land for the plant.

On 15th August 2010, the Purogami Mahila Sangathan (Maharashtra Committee) held a one-day workshop on “The Emancipation of Women” in CHM College, Ulhasnagar (Thane district). They were fully supported in this endeavour by the youthful Ulhasnagar committee of Lok Raj Sangathan. In each of the three sessions there were prepared presentations.

The issue of what price the peasant is able to sell his marketable produce at is very critical in the face of rising input prices being paid by him – it is a question of his livelihood. This has become a matter of serious concern as increasing number of peasants face destitution and ruin.

Domestic Workers in Chennai organised a protest action demanding weekly offs, notice before termination of service, paid holidays and medical benefits. They are demanding cards identifying them as domestic workers. They are also demanding that they be treated with dignity. Many of them are falsely accused of theft and harassed by police.

Student organisations, Civil and Human Rights organisations, Women's organisations and Trade Unions held a day long protest action at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on August 21, calling for the repeal of AFSPA and such black laws and demanding that no part of it should be made a part of any other law.

The Andhra Pradesh United Teachers Federation has called for a day long strike on September 7, 2010, coinciding with the All India General Strike. The Federation has demanded an end to the contract system in teachers recruitment.

Viva Global is a company whose factory located in the Udyog Vihar region of Gurgaon manufactures clothes for well known brands such as Marks & Spencer. For the past few months, the management has been trying to intimidate the workers who have been organising to force the management to give them their rightful dues. Following brutal attacks on the workers and especially the union leaders on 25th August 2010, the workers have been demonstrating outside the factory gate. MEL interviewed the fighting workers who include a large number of women.

Several demonstration and actions have been taking place in Ireland to oppose cuts in health services. One of the latest in a series of demonstrations to oppose the downgrading of hospital services took place in Portiuncula hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway, on August 16, 2010.

Hundreds of foreign student nurses, most of them Indians, face the threat of deportation from Australia. This follows the government's decision to raise the English language standard requirement for passing for foreign students. This arbitrary decision was taken when most of these student nurses had just completed their courses. Many of them had got job offers in Australia.