Sexual harassment: Chennai women stage protest in MEPZ
Speaking to DC, a human resource and logistics manager at Venture Lightings said that a committee was in place and the inquiry has begun.
Chennai: Alleging sexual harassment by two supervisors at the manufacturing facility of Venture Lighting India Ltd in Madras Export Processing Zone (MEPZ-SEZ), women workers and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) members carried out a demonstration on GST Road on Wednesday.
According to workers, two of their supervisors Raja Rajan and Mohan had been sexually harassing several of them for over the past few years, but the women unanimously decided to speak out only last year in December.
“The management was informed and we demanded that the men are suspended or some action be taken against them. The officials announced that internal committee will be looking into our issues, but no step was taken,” said T. Jayanthi, treasurer of CITU at MEPZ.
Tired of complaints and of having to face the supervisors daily, workers are indignant and adamant about not joining work unless the alleged harassers are not suspended from work.
“We are waiting for the case to come up in the court tomorrow. If the two supervisors are not sacked, we will approach the development commissioner at MEPZ,” Jayanthi added.
Speaking to DC, a human resource and logistics manager at Venture Lightings said that a committee was in place and the inquiry has begun. “We don’t want the name of the women to be tarnished due to the sexual harassment case. The internal complaints committee has an external member as well, and they have started an inquiry on the lines of the complaint,” the personnel said.