A supermarket owner was beaten up by a group of workers from CITU, a trade union wing of the CPI-M, while he was in the market near Kollam.

The owner, Shan, who was beaten up, told the media that the incident took place at 3 p.m. on Friday when a drunk CITU worker came to the supermarket.

“There were customers also and he was drunk and speaking. We told him to go away. He went but returned with his trade union colleagues and I was beaten up. A director of the supermarket was also manhandled,” said Shan.

Shan, who is presently undergoing treatment at a hospital, said the police have taken his statement and they will register a case against those who assaulted him.

“I have named a few of them who beat me up. These people are in the habit of threatening shop owners and they collect wages (gawking wages) for unloading materials which they do not unload. When this case against them has now taken a turn, they have now said they will register a case against me under the SC/ST Atrocities Act,” added Shan.

Meanwhile, the Chadayamangalam Police have registered a case against 13 CITU workers who beat up Shan.

Over the years, Kerala has had a torrid time dealing with the loading and unloading workers who demand gawking wages and it was only in 2002 when the then A.K. Antony government came out with a strict law to curb this menace.

But the CPI-M-led V.S. Achuthanandan government (2006-11) diluted this Act by removing certain provisions to favour the trade union workers.

However, of late, Kerala High Court has started taking stern steps when people approach justice from the ‘militant’ trade union workers, especially the CITU.

(This article has been published via a syndicated feed)