Good Food, Good life! Bad labour practices, Bad reputation! Lets watch Nestle for demo!

Swiss Multinational corporation Nestle engaged in manufacture of milk products has famous underline: Good Food, Good Life. This underline can be seen at several places in Bicholim Taluka where one of the Nestle plant is located at Van-Maulingem village. The other plant is in Ponda Taluka of Goa. 

This post is concerned with controversial labour practices that has led to labour unrest and litigation over the past few years before the office of Labour commissioner, government of Goa. The central issue of contention is that Nestle has suspended some workers, dismissed others and refused to take them back on job. Labour exploitation and Environmental exploitation are the two facets of workings of capitation for profit maximization. 

Labour exploitation by Nestle is alleged by the workers and agitated in various phases so far. Crux of the matter as we understood after speaking to the agitation Union of the contract workers is this. Nestle refuses to owe responsibility to the fate of the workers who are not taken on the job just because they were engaged by the Contractor. Contractor hired the workers and Nestle benefited as Principal employer usurping surplus from workers efforts. 

Now these workers are denied Job and at the litigation at labour commissioner Nestle denies any links with workers and even refuses to delegate its representative. This has been going on for past almost two years, as we learn from the workers and from the available documents that involves minutes of various meetings convened by labour commissioner and  correspondence with Nestle Plant in Van-Maulingem. BMM contacted the President of the Nestle Contract Workers Union Anand Shirodker and we got the following status report:

Payment of Arreas of settlement benefits not paid to 30 workers for five years from 2013-14 to 2017-18. 

Sixteen workers are not taken on job after the break and contractors are insisting on c0ompiance to hire and fire policy of work. 

Three workers terminated from job allegedly for taking active part in Union activity.

Five workers terminated from from their work in Canteen.

International Union of Foods (IUF) was involved initially to support the workers but eventually ditched the workers for the reasons best known to IUF alone.

BMM will continue to bring updates to you on Nestle dispute at Van-Maulingem. This is the way will understand labour exploitation step by step.

Status of Nestle labour exploitation issue

We gets an impression after reading these above and below letters that labour is taken for ride by both the multinational company Nestle (based in Maulingem in Bicholim Taluka) as well as Government of Goa. Match fixing is clearly visible. We had earlier shared notes and stored in folder on this matter and it can be accessed by clicking here .

Press Release in support of Nestle Contract Workers Union

11^th February 2016

Bharat Mukti Morcha (BMM) extends support and solidarity to Nestle Contract Workers Union (NCWU) based at Maulingem, Bicholim. For the past few months BMM has been interacting with NCWU ever since they shifted their agitation in Panjim. BMM is concerned about targeting of Union Leadership in fabricated manner in order to suppressed workers Union activities. BMM has identified that two of the dedicated and talented leaders of the NCWU Anand B. Shirodkar and Sandesh Gawas are placed on suspension. Workers had formed NCWU on 27/11/2012. Details of the background and fantastic union activities are listed accessible from our blog http://bharatmukti.blogspot.in/2015/12/how-contract-workers-at-nestle-bicholim.html?m=0. 

Our investigation has revealed that Nestle has 8 contractors that supply labour to the factory in Maulingem. One of this S.P.Enterprises has suspended Anand B. Shirodkar while another one M/s Harsh Security and Labour supply services has suspended Sandesh Gawas. Though workers has filed complaint before labour commissioner placing various issues for resolution on 24^th June 2013 and number of hearings has gone by ever since. However refusal of the Nestle management to co-operate by their presence has left the issue unresolved. Even the requests from the Goa labour commissioners to remain present for the hearings has not been honored by Nestle management citing the reasons that they are not involved in master – servant relationship with the contract workers. However involvement of Nestle is revealed from the fact that both the Union leaders Anand B. Shirodker and Sandesh Gawas were placed on suspension on the same date of 23/8/2013. One does not need rocket science to guess that this has been done to prevent labour awakening and unionization, and spreading of Union activities and not for cited reasons of criminal behavior and absenteeism from work.

This is a very sad reality of Goa’s industrialization. Innovative forms are deployed for the purpose of labour exploitation with legal immunity for prosecution. Contractors in collaboration with Nestle Company through these practices are involved in the process of mutilation and disintegration disguised as development.  BMM considers what is happening to NCWU as symptomatic of industrial scenario of Goa – rampant labour exploitation through contract labour with exploitation as a package. If Goa Government labour Ministry cannot get Nestle to discussion table then it must change its name as Ministry of Slavery.

Sd/-

Maggie Silveira

President

How contract workers at Nestle, Bicholim formed their union

Today lets examine the situation of food supply to Nestle contract workers in Maulingem North, Bicholim before 2011. Permanent workers used to be given food. Packers and Tipping contract workers used to be given food. No other contract workers used to be given food on work. House Keeping, Loading-Unloading workers used to go home in the afternoon to get meals on both shifts afternoon as well as Night. Lunch break was just an hour. Traveling used to consume most of the time and energy. Those workers who used to report late after meals used to be scolded. Cooking at home to take meal for work early morning would take efforts and time and often worker would report late at work.

In this context at the General body meeting of the worker Gomantak Mazdoor Sangh decided on May 01, 2011 that Nestle management should provide free meals inside the factory premises. From July 2011 this decision was implemented and Nestle management started giving free meals to the all the contract workers. Factory then had 350 Union members plus 300 more workers who were not the members of the Union but benefited from Union action. Nestle Plant here has about 900 permanent workers. This practice of free meals to all the workers continues till date.

Then Uniform for contract workers was another issue that got on the agenda. Workers used be get uniforms after standing in Que. There was uniform shortages. Company used to give only aprons to wear over the clothes that workers used to wear. Workers agitated and got the Uniform shortages to eliminate and get more Uniforms to be made available. This problem is still not sorted out. It still exists till date. This issue stands unresolved.

Shoes for worker were provided once in six months per pair. Instead of giving good quality shoes poor quality shoes are given to the workers. And those worker who handles water or works in water are not provided any shoes, not even water proof shoes. After agitation also this situation has not changed.

Contract workers were not given double overtime payment for double overtime work. The first timing is from morning 8.00 am to evening 4.00 pm. The Second shift starts at 4.00 pm to 12.00 mid night. The third shift is from 12.00 mid night to 8.00 am. At the end of the shift if the replacement worker has not reported to work then same worker will have to continue into next shift. But company would not pay double overtime but would pay only single overtime. This was a case of exploitation perceived by workers and raised verbally in 2011. This issue got resolved after agitation in June 2011. After this contract workers started getting double overtime. This issue is not completely resolved as company pays only three double overtimes per month even though workers carry on dosing double over time mover than three times every month. This is gross case of exploitation that still continues at Nestle in Maulingem North. We wonder why this is still the case after 54 years Indian Army march into Goa to liberate us. Why contract workers at Nestle continues to languish and suffer this way?

Night allowances are meant for only night shift from 12.00 mid night to 8.00 am. No allowances were given for night shifts. After agitation the night allowances of Rs. 30/- were granted fro a short while. This was stopped after 2013.

Attendance bonus Rs. 250/- would be given to workers after 24 days in month. This was started after the 2011 agitation and stopped in 2013.

Contract workers at house keeping were supplied with improper materials like gloves, wipers, mops with shortages. This issue was taken up before the management and this was issue was resolved to some extend.

In November 2012 Contract workers resigned from Gomantak Mazdoor Sangh. The main reason was that thier Union leader was not ready to address the problems of the Contract workers. Problems like workers harassment, hire and fire policy by which Union committee member Sandesh Gawas and other were fired from the work by the company. Gomantak Mazdoor Sangh, General Secretary Puti Gaonkar refused to support contract worker. This led to tension among workers and finally decided form their own union.  In this manner Nestle Contract Workers Union Ca,me into existence on 27th Novmeber 2012. general body meeting was called to resolve to resign from Gomantak Mazdoor Sangh and register Nestle Contract Worker Union. Adv. Ajitsigh Rane was approached as legal Adviser. Nestle Company tried to dissuade the workers from this decision for unknown reasons. 

Nestle has its global headquarters at Nestlé S.A., avenue Nestlé 55, 1800 Vevey, Switzerland

Anand B. Shirodkar, President, Nestle Contract Workers Union

Maggi ban lifted yet its parent Nestle continues to torment its workers

Anand B. Shirodkar, is a dashing Union leader of Nestle company in Maulingem North in Bicholim taluka. He has been thrown out from job for past two and half years. His fault is to organise workers for justice. Recently he is involved in creating public out reach in various parts of Goa to explain how this multinational company has been arm twisting the workers for the aim of oppression. He has contacted Bharat Mukti Morcha for support along with his fellow workers. 

Bharat Mukti Morcha has examined the case of the workers and calls upon members of public to do the same. After examination we have found the cause of discontent is solely to suppress dynamic and independent leadership of Shirodkar. He is instrumental in forming Nestle contract workers Union  on 13 February 2013. This is most probably the first Union of Contract Workers in the state of Goa and Shirodkar and all his supporting workers deserve great appreciation. Jai Mulnivasi!