'Tear gas, torched vehicles': 2000 L&T workers protesting over wages clash with cops

SURAT: More than 2,000 workers of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) protested heavy astatine the ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) works successful Hajira village, Surat, today. The workers protested to request higher wages and amended moving conditions.

As the mob resorted to violence, the constabulary reached the spot and lobbed 35 shells to disperse them. Hajira constabulary arrested astatine slightest 20 workers and started proceedings to lodge an FIR. The workers got inspired for the protestation aft videos of Panipat workers astatine the IOCL refinery went viral implicit the past 3 days.Following the incident, DCP Zone-7 Shaifali Barwal, ACP Sweta Daniels, Hajira Police Inspector VL Parmar, and different constabulary officials reached the spot and tried to power the situation.

When constabulary tried to person the workers, they started pelting stones astatine them, pursuing which constabulary lobbed teardrop state shells.Barwal told the media: “We came to cognize that 10 vehicles were damaged successful the unit by the mob, and 1 car was acceptable connected fire. We detained 20 workers against whom an FIR is being filed. The protestation was inspired by the Panipat workers’ protestation going connected for the past 2 days.”Meanwhile, AM/NS India confirmed that the workers were connected an L & T declaration and were deployed to enactment astatine assorted plants connected the AM/NS India field successful Hajira.After the convulsive protests, L & T issued a connection assuring the workers that they would instrumentality the Gujarat govt’s caller labour codification notifications erstwhile they are implemented.