Bosses hold 1000 Indian workers hostage in Angola

Over 1200 Indian workers have been left stranded, and effectively held hostage by bosses in Angola after their passports and other travel documents were confiscated in revenge for taking industrial action over not being paid anything for over six months.

Submitted by working class … on May 16, 2012

The workers are employed by ETA Star International, who produce cement at their factory in Sumbe. The workers went on strike after bosses refused to pay their wages. As workers protested outside the plant, the bosses called the police who fired around 300 bullets at protestors, as well as tear gas shells. There are reports of several injuries, and over forty arrests, with many currently in prison.

Despite not paying the workers any money for six months, the factory management have defended the move to confiscate the workers passports, and have declared the strike “illegal”.

A representative of the workers reports that:

"Their passports have been seized... they are wandering in forest without any food and battling for their life... their family members are crying... media is reporting the matter for 15 days but the government is silent on this sensitive matter.”

Solidarity with the striking workers in Angola!

http://www.change.org/petitions/eta-star-international-stop-the-violent-strike-crackdown-in-sumbe-and-begin-peaceful-bargaining

Comments

adpucci

12 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by adpucci on May 17, 2012

on their webpage http://www.etastarintl.com/contact.html there are contact details for their managers, directors and HR managers.

Can someone take 5 minutes to create a petition on change.org addressed to these emails?

Mr. Rafiq Jeelani - Manager - HR
Email: [email protected]

Mr. J. DANANJAYAN - Director – Operations
Email: [email protected]

Caiman del Barrio

12 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Caiman del Barrio on May 17, 2012

Why a petition, what about an email flurry?

pijjion

12 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by pijjion on May 17, 2012

Indeed Caiman. Nevertheless, voi-la: http://www.change.org/petitions/eta-star-international-stop-the-violent-strike-crackdown-in-sumbe-and-begin-peaceful-bargaining

akai

12 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by akai on May 18, 2012

Can somebody clarify something for me?
I have read some different accounts of the story. I read that the conflict was caused because they were not paid all their overtime pay in hard currency.
Either way, totally against the horrible actions and repression, but trying to get the facts straight for a news story.
Anybody know?

This is what one press report says: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Gujarat-government-assures-help-to-kin-of-Gujaratis-stranded-in-Angola/articleshow/13181009.cms

Another claims that 37 people are still arrested.

adpucci

12 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by adpucci on May 23, 2012

well you can create petitions that actually take the lot of signatures exactly to the email addressees...