Be aggressive, fend off BJP unions, Thackeray tells his union workers

In a meeting of BKS office bearers on Sunday, the Sena (UBT) chief instructed them to give “a befitting reply” to the BJP but at the same time change their approach and become more accommodating while running a union at any establishment

MUMBAI: After the two recent attempts by BJP-led employee unions to take over the unions of five-star hotels from the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Bhartiya Kamgar Sena (BKS), Uddhav Thackeray has stepped in to dole out some advice to his men. In a meeting of BKS office bearers on Sunday, the Sena (UBT) chief instructed them to give “a befitting reply” to the BJP but at the same time change their approach and become more accommodating while running a union at any establishment.

Shiv Sena(UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray (ANI)

On Friday, Sena (UBT) and BJP labour union members clashed at The St Regis Mumbai, resulting in a two-hour verbal and physical altercation. The fracas occurred after the BKS, the official labour union at The St Regis, learnt that some hotel employees had joined the BJP-backed Rashtriya Ekjut Kamgar Sanghatana. This was the second such incident in the last three weeks—on November 14, unions backed by the two parties collided at the Taj Land’s End hotel in Bandra over the alleged poaching of members.

Sensing the threat from the BJP-backed unions, Thackeray held a meeting of BKS officials from Mumbai, Pune and other cities. He reviewed the situation, gathered details of the BJP-led unions’ intimidation of BKS ones, and then ordered BKS officials to give a fitting reply to the BJP’s attempts.

Thackeray also told BKS office bearers that they needed to become more aggressive. “Be united and stop the intrusion of BJP-led labour unions in your establishments and in the labour union sector in general,” he said. “Give them a fitting reply. If the BKS is strong, employees will benefit; once a BJP-led union enters, they will ensure that owners benefit. Understand this and convey this to members of our union too.”

At the same time, Thackeray also asked BKS office bearers to change their approach to running a union. “Be accommodating while running the labour union at any establishment,” he said. “There should be coordination with local leaders of the party and shakha pramukhs too. Union members or party leaders in that area should not feel that BKS office bearers don’t care for them.”

Thackeray’s meeting was important in the context of the upcoming BMC elections since every establishment in the city has several hundred employees and party workers of the BKS. If these were to be ceded to the BJP, it would affect Thackeray’s political fortunes.