Over the last one year, women workers of Bombay Rayons Ltd, an export garment factory in Ambattur Industrial Estate in Chennai have scripted a story of determined struggles. In the two units of the factory there are over 1350 workers of whom 1185 are women. They formed their union in 2009 August and hoisted the AICCTU flag on 14 August, saying that hoisting the AICCTU flag is a celebration of their freedom, achieved on joining the union. They hoisted AICCTU flag in the second unit the next month.

They began a strike on September 30, 2009 which continued for 14 days forcing the management to pay 12.85% of the gross salary as bonus against its group policy of only 8.33%. During the strike, they spoke to the bus corporation officials and managed to arrange a separate bus to take the workers to gherao the labour-office which is about 12 km away from the plant.

From February 2010 they began their struggle for wage revision and when the management refused to yield, they controlled production. The management served charge sheets for the office bearers and when they refused to receive them, the charge sheets were served at home. Workers went on a 3-days strike and forced the management to withdraw the charge sheets including those served on the male workers. The management also agreed for a one-year wage settlement from April 2010 to March 2011. For the first time Bombay Rayons workers got an increase ranging from Rs. 90 to Rs.500 in their salaries.

In the General Body held in June 2010, workers decided to increase the membership, hold regular gate meetings and study circles. On August 5, when one of the managers used degrading language against a worker who did the overtime duty of another worker, production was immediately stopped and the workers demanded an apology; work was resumed only after their demand was met.

On August 14, 2010 they again hoisted AICCTU flag and celebrated one year of struggle against the management for dignity and better working conditions.

On August 21, 400 of them involved in the 5-lakh signature campaign of AICCTU. Apart from participating en masse in the campaign, they also got 11,400 signatures in their living areas.

Time for next bonus was approaching and when the management said they would not pay extra bonus this time against the group policy and asked the workers to improve efficiency and productivity, workers unitedly stood up once again. When the management tried to recruit workers on piece-rate for cutting and ironing work, existing workers established dialogue with the piece-rate workers and forced the management to backtrack.

On October 27 the management unilaterally announced 8.33% bonus and on October 28 deposited it in the bank accounts of the workers. On the same day workers of unit 1 and the next day of unit 2, surrendered their ATM cards and demanded that they be paid directly. Management did not withdraw the payment and another spell of struggle started from October 29. This time it was hunger strike and on the first day itself 17 women workers fainted. TN government’s free ambulances and 108 were called and they were hospitalized. Police arrived; TV channels covered the development at the factory site, leading to widespread exposure of the management’s highhandedness. Workers returned to work on November 1 the labour office invited the union for talks and the management agreed before the labour office to pay 12.85% bonus.

In the meantime when on November 1 AICCTU State Secretary S Sekar, and AICCTU State Council Member Com.Munusami went to the factory to inform the workers about the management’s decision to release 12.85% bonus and to ask them to wait for the talks with the labour office, the security in the gate did not allow the comrades to go inside the factory, on the plea that the union is not recognized by the management. All the workers left the factory, came to the gate, raised slogans, took the comrades to the canteen and held a meeting there! On the same day they held a gate meet demanding justice for the accident death of a woman worker of Nokia factory at the work spot.

In the meeting they planned to go for strike if the management attempted any complaint on the comrades for ‘unauthorized’ entry. The management could not do that. They also decided that they would not use the ATM cards anymore, they should get either the salary or the bonus in two days and till then they would wear black badges.

The management again had to give in before the determined workers, forced to pay the salary on November 4, and promised to pay the bonus before 30 November.
The management has told the union that it is ready to hike the salary in January or February of 2011 though it is due only in April 2011.

In March 2010 the management attempted to introduce Sumangali Scheme (where young women work, virtually imprisoned on factory premises, not for a salary but towards a bulk amount for their marriages) in the Chennai factory to tackle the unionized women workers. It recruited around 40 girls and gave them shelter and food, brought them to the factory in a separate bus and was vigilant that they do not interact with these unionized workers. But the unionized workers immediately raised the issues of poor accommodation and low quality of food of the Sumangali Scheme workers. The management wound up the scheme saying that it is very difficult to train them. Thus the management does not want to lose the trained workers and this has forced management to continue production in the ‘trouble-ridden’ Chennai factory, despite the fact it has plants in Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra, where it is getting away by paying much lesser salary.

In spite of heavy rains and cyclone on November 7, workers attended an AICCTU meeting on Russian Revolution Day. Workers who spoke in the meeting said that they are treated by the management with dignity only after unionization and that they would not compromise on this score in the coming days.