BrahMos staff stage dharna

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was waiting to happen. The labour dispute that has been dragging on at BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (BATL), Chakkai, has spilled over into the streets with the AITUC-led employees’ union staging a sit-in in front of the Secretariat protesting the exemption given to BATL from the Kerala Recognition of Trade Unions Act 2010.AITUC general secretary Kanam Rajendran inaugurated the sit-in organised by the AITUC-backed BrahMos Employees Union. The Act, passed by the LDF Government, was intended to regulate the number of trade unions in industries, recognise trade unions and ensure organised bargaining in industries. The UDF Government and Labour Minister Shibu Baby John was trying to scuttle the law, he said.By invoking section 15 of the Act to give exemption, the government had, in effect, nullified the right of employees to organise, Kanam Rajendran said. He also demanded a detailed inquiry into the transfer of Kerala Hi-Tech Industries Ltd (KELTEC) to BrahMos.State Government firm KELTEC was handed over to Indo-Russian venture BrahMos Aerospace Ltd for a token Re 1. However, the employees allege that the management had not kept its side of the agreement.