CITU condemns police action on Liberty Shoe workers in Karnal

New Delhi, June 27 (UNI) Centre of Indian Trade Unions today condemned police baton charge on Liberty Footwear factory workers in Haryana's Karnal district yesterday.

CITU strongly condemns the police action on the peacefully protesting workers at the factory, union President M K Pandhe said in a statement.

He urged the Haryana government to immediately put a stop to the reign of police terror in the area, to release all the arrested workers and to withdraw the all the police cases against them.

CITU demanded action against the officials responsible for the police action and also suitable compensation for the injured workers.

It also called upon the state government to force the Liberty management to address the demands of the workers in consultations with the trade union.

Hundreds of workers, including women, were injured in yesterday police action. Workers fleeing from the scene pelted the police with stones, injuring seven policemen and damaging two government and many private vehicles.

42 workers were arrested after a clash with the police yesterday.

These workers were among 2,000 others who had been booked after they blocked the National Highway no.1 near company's Gharaunda unit yesterday. The police had lathicharged to lift a three-hour jam on the GT road.

The agitators were demanding the release of ten fellow workers arrested earlier by the police for assaulting company officials.

It was alleged that yesterday's police action was a 'repeat show' of the police brutality against Honda worker at Gurgaon in July last year.

UNI IP VD BD1930