Relief continues to elude Indian workers in Angola

ETA Star International LLC, whose cement plant site saw protests by Indian workers demanding payment of wages, reacted to the standoff on Sunday.

In an email reply to DNA, the company clarified that police had to be called in to rein in the unruly workers. However, workers have alleged that they are being harassed for informing the media about their plight.

“The workers went on strike from April 16 without any notice to demand their pay in US dollars. Despite repeated pleas they refused to join duty. On May 9, a section of unruly workers, instigated by their violent leaders, attacked the managers, engineers and supervisors and even damaged the infrastructure and set vehicles on fire,” alleged Rabi Dasgupta, general manager of the company, in reply to DNA’s queries. He said the police was called to control violence.

"In the process, 52 rogue culprits were taken into custody. There has been no human casualty or injury," said Dasgupta. DNA has been, for last three days reporting about the violence that broke out at the cement factory in Sumbe on Thursday after Indian workers, including 40 from Gujarat, who had not been paid overtime since February this year, received their wages in the local currency. This led to resentment among workers who demanded wages in dollars as banks refuse to accept the local currency. It should be noted that MC Vijaykumar, a resident on Mangalore and a worker at the cement factory, was shot twice in the melee.

Photos available with DNA show that there have indeed been injuries, contrary to the claim of the company. Meanwhile, Vijay Valmik, the labourer from Petlad, who first sought help for the Indians stranded in Angola, said that he was being harassed for informing the media about the situation. "Now they are looking for me after my name appeared in newspaper reports about the event. They are even threatening my friends and colleagues back at the company's site to know about my whereabouts," said Valmik. The workers who were on strike for 24 days to demand their overtime dues also said that their passports are in the possession of the company.

On the matter of payment in local currency, the company said that the overtime was usually paid at site in US dollars. "After February 2012, due to local issues the banks were not issued US dollars and there was a shortage of the same. In view of the shortage, the company offered to pay overtime wages in US dollar and balance in Kwanza (the local currency). But workers insisted on full payment in dollar and went on strike," said Dasgupta.  On possession of workers passport, he said, "Work permit needs to be obtained from Angolan authority for employment in that country.

To comply with this regulation, passports of all staff and workers are submitted to immigration authority for processing of work visa.

Passports are returned to the company after completing the process. Usually workers come on a two year contract and by that time work visa process is completed," said Dasgupta.