Editorial
Vandalisation of leather factory
Such senseless acts must be curbed
We find it very difficult to rationalise why a leather factory in Ashulia was vandalised on Saturday. It was functioning normal; there was neither labour unrest nor any problem there. Reportedly, the factory management refused to give in to the demands of some workers of an adjacent garment factory whose work was suspended because of a fire alarm. As a result their owner, rather sensibly, declared the remaining day off which caused workers of a few other factories to suspended work too fearing trouble. And these workers set upon the leather factory.
It seems ludicrous that an export oriented factory employing more than 1000 workers, and exporting to nearly a half dozen countries, would be subjected to such senseless act that caused injury to many of its workers.
In the entire episode equally appalling was the inaction of the police. They are paid not to hide, as the 15 policemen on the factory premise were found to, in the face of impending trouble, but act promptly. And the late response of the industrial police is quite inexplicable too. The job of the industrial police is to address exactly these situations, and if they say that they did their best then their best is just not good enough.
It is not the first time that trouble in one factory had spilled over into another, quite inexplicably. We wonder whether it is the destructive inclination of a few that gets the better of the rest to indulge in wanton destruction, or this is a part of a deliberate effort to harm our garment and other export industries. On both counts the authorities must act promptly to stop such acts being repeated. While on one hand there is need for the management to indulge in pep talks with the workers to put a stop to this, on the other the law enforcing agencies must be more alert and quick in their reaction and not demonstrate the lackadaisical attitude that they have this time.
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