The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is trying to keep its sanitation workers away from trade unions, All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) President Sucheta De told SabrangIndia while speaking about her sudden ouster from the JNU campus.
The campus was declared “out of bounds” for De by the administration for her alleged ‘undesirable activities’ as per an office order issued on May 5. According to Indian Express, Chief Proctor Rajnish Kumar Mishra said in the order, “In view of undesirable activities of De, an ex-student of the School of Social Sciences of the University, the Vice-Chancellor in exercise of her powers vested has ordered that the entire JNU campus is declared out of bounds with immediate effect.”
JNU ADMIN HAS DECLARED ME OUT OF BOUNDS, STOPPED ME FROM ENTERING THE CAMPUS FOR EXPOSING VIOLATION OF WORKERS RIGHTS INSIDE THE CAMPUS.
— sucheta de (@sucheta_ml) May 6, 2022
Further, he said that any person offering shelter to the trade union leader inside campus will face strict disciplinary action. De told SabrangIndia that even by May 9, the authorities have not given any clarity as to why she is ‘undesirable’. However, she points out that the order came on the same day that the JNU sanitation workers group staged its sit-in protest for pending wages.
“The workers union is affiliated with the AICCTU. I was banned from entering the area on the same day that the protest started outside the Dean of Students office,” said De.
Typically, sanitation workers suffer delayed salaries by two to three months, a shocking fact in itself. However, this time, the workers did not get their wages even after three months. Further, she claimed that 150 workers were denied duty when they pointed out this delay.
Workers have declared strike and indefinite Sit In in front of Dean of Students office. Raise your voice. Support the workers. pic.twitter.com/JMfmOQusdB
— sucheta de (@sucheta_ml) May 4, 2022
“They said they could not tolerate this any longer. Even mess workers wanted to join the demonstration, but they were stopped from doing so,” she said.
As for the order against her, De said that the administration used a statute that applies to students and not ex-students or union workers like her. The veteran activist was the former JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) President. As such, she is well-aware of campus activities. She told SabrangIndia that she plans to take up a formal complaint against this move by the JNU authorities. Trade unions have voiced their support for De. Meanwhile, workers continue to assert their rights to fair and timely wages.
JNU admin has declared Com. @sucheta_ml of @AICCTU_tweets out of bounds from the campus for standing in solidarity with the JNU workers in their struggle against illegal termination. Shameful!
Attack on workers’ rights by JNU is a criminal act! Stand with JNU workers!— CPIML Liberation (@cpimlliberation) May 6, 2022
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