Labourers protest against hydropower firm in Kinnaur for better wages

Over 1300 tribal labourers staged a protest march against a hydropower firm in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, over a demand for better wages, shelter and compensation.

The protest against Jaypee Hydropower has now entered a month and is becoming aggressive with each passing day.

Local administration deployed heavy security in the area as protesters became aggressive.

Despite the freezing cold, labourers have been actively participating in the protest, demanding wages according to labour laws, protection, etc. They say, they will continue the protest on a larger scale, if the demands are not met soon.

As per the workers, the company has not provided them with shelter during the cold.

"We have gathered here over issues regarding reimbursement from the affected area - wages, money for development, and all dues that fall under the Forest Tribe Act and also against the capturing of government land," said a labour union leader, Bihari Sahyogi.

Labourers say no one has lent them an ear even after the prolonged period of protests.

"No one is listening to us, neither the government nor Jaypee. Why are they being unjust? What have we done? We have shed blood and sweat for this company," said a labourer, Durga Devi.

The protest, which at first consisted wholly of employees, is now being joined in by around 18 villages in the Kinnaur area.

India has a slew of laws and rules that shape the labour market, regulating the terms of work, hiring and firing, and the working conditions.

The laws, however, benefit only a fraction of the workforce, as 93 percent of workers are employed in informal sectors who lack any form of job or social security.