Elstone Estate workers to protest for job security

Workers at Elstone Estate plan to protest on Saturday, March 22, to demand their unpaid dues and job security. This protest comes as the government prepares to start a township project for landslide survivors in Wayanad district. The Wayanad Estate Labour Union, part of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), is organizing the protest. Union leaders held a press conference on Tuesday to announce their plans. They expressed concerns about the government's decision to evict workers from the Pulpara division of Elstone Estate without proper compensation. If their issues are not resolved, workers will escalate their protests. They will initially gather for a token demonstration at the Wayanad Collectorate. If necessary, family members will join in a more significant protest later. The workers have long-standing grievances, including missing contributions to their provident fund since 2014 and unpaid gratuities for about 150 retired employees. Although the union supports the government's rehabilitation efforts for landslide survivors, they insist that the concerns of around 300 workers at the estate must also be addressed. The leaders have urged various government officials to resolve these issues but report no progress so far.