CPI(M) targets BS Yediyurappa for supporting Wistron

The CPI(M) on Sunday found fault with Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa for condemning the workers for the violence in Wistron factory in the state triggered by non-payment of wages and asked the Centre to stop taking an anti-worker stand in its eagerness to attract FDI.

The issue was discussed at a meeting of the party's politburo on Saturday during which the top CPI(M) leaders condemned the "widespread arrests and police repression" on workers.

In a statement, the party said the protest by workers and the incident that occurred in the Wistron company factory was a result of the non-payment of wages to contract workers for four months and making them work for 12 hours without any overtime pay.

"Wistron is a contractor for making I-phones. More than 80% of the 10,000 workers employed in the factory are non-permanent contract employees and such violations of existing laws are the norm in enterprises owned by the MNCs," the party said.

"When the new labour codes come into effect, it will be an open invitation to violate the rights of workers. It is strange that the Karnataka Chief Minister is condemning the workers and supporting the company when The Apple Corp. itself has found its supplier company had violated norms," the CPI(M) said.

"The politburo condemns the widespread arrests and police repression on workers. The Modi government must stop adopting an anti-worker stance in its eagerness to attract FDI into the country," it said.

The party also "strongly denounced the unprecedented cancellation" of the Winter Session of Parliament using the pretext of the Covid-19 pandemic. It said the pandemic is "not any problem for the BJP to organise its election campaign and rallies" but it has "chosen to avoid being answerable" to Parliament. "It is thus abandoning its constitutional responsibility of being accountable in Parliament," the CPI(M) said.

"Clearly, the Modi government is escaping answering questions over its all-round failure in tackling the pandemic effectively and the economic recession while mercilessly attacking the livelihood of the people and destroying the rights of the working people and the peasantry. The people shall make the government answer," it said.

On the Central Vista project, the CPI(M) said that instead of using the available resources to feed our people and provide them with some means of livelihood, the Centre is "squandering our country’s resources" in constructing new buildings and the Central Vista, including a new Parliament.

"In the midst of this pandemic and mounting people’s woes, the Prime Minister laid the foundation for the construction of the new parliament. The CPI(M) demands that this project of the Central Vista be scrapped. The money allocated for this must be transferred to provide free food and cash transfers to our beleaguered people," it said.

Expressing solidarity with the protesting farmers, the CPI(M) also reiterated its demand for repealing the contentious farm laws and then sit to discuss agrarian reforms with the farmers and other stakeholders. On that basis, it said, fresh enactments may be made in Parliament.