To

M.Karunanidhi

The Chief Minister

Govt. of Tamil Nadu

Chennai

October 1, 2009

 Sir

We are writing to express our grave concern about the continuing witch hunt of workers at Pricol Ltd in Coimbatore and the fabricated case brought against S. Kumaraswami, National President of AICCTU, and to request your urgent intervention in this matter.

The tragic death of Mr. Roy George, Vice-president of Pricol Ltd., Coimbatore on 22 September 2009 occurred, as you are aware, against a background of deeply disturbing actions of Pricol Ltd Coimbatore. Not only has the company continually and openly flouted labour laws, and even the orders of the Tamil Nadu government on 29th June 2009 that the demands of the workers be met, but it has continued to victimise and harass the workers, particularly the women workers. It has also pressurised and blackmailed them to try to force them to leave their union, the AICCTU. The workers however have refused to leave their union and have continued to struggle through a variety of peaceful and democratic means.

We urge you to intervene immediately to stop the ruthless victimisation of workers which has followed the incident of 21st September.

It is shocking that S. Kumaraswami, the National President of a centrally recognized central Trade Union Organization, AICCTU and a practicing lawyer in the Tamil Nadu High Court has been falsely implicated and named in an FIR, particularly when he was not even present when the incident took place and prior to this had been continually urging the workers to resist all forms of provocation which the management was engaging in.

We urge you to act to ensure that the fabricated case against Mr Kumaraswami is immediately dropped

Yours sincerely,

Bob Crow, General Secretary, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), UK

John Leach, National President, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), UK

Avtar Singh Jouhl, General Secretary, Indian Workers Association GB, UK

Eve Turner, Secretary, Ealing Trades Council, London, UK

Oliver New, National Executive, RMT, UK

Harpal Brar, Editor, Lalkar Magazine, UK

Naeem Malik, South Asian Alliance , Birmingham , UK

Kalpana Wilson, South Asia Solidarity Group, London , UK

Pete Firmin, President, Brent Trades Union Council, London UK

Bharat Bhushan, Co-ordinator, Shahid Udham Singh Centre, Birmingham, UK

Mary Pearson for BirminghamTrades Council, Birmingham, UK

Steve Grant, District Organiser, London Underground, ASLEF (train drivers