BPP – Union dispute
Due to Yazdi Desai’s intransigence in not having even a preliminary meeting with the Union for their demands aided and abetted by the majority Trustees today there is a Union agitation going on at Doongerwadi. Before things worsen remedial measures need to be taken. Earlier also the Union had warned Yazdi not to allow his wife to interfere in Doongerwadi affairs. I am convening an urgent meeting today at 5.30 pm at BPP office. All are requested to attend.
Email dated June 22, 2015 from Yazdi Desai to fellow trustees and others
There is definitely no agitation except that the Class IV staff are wearing red caps and the matter can be discussed at the Board Meeting tomorrow, Tuesday 23rd June. Today I am in Poona and Jimmy is out of town and there is no point in having a meeting this evening.
Hard copies of the Union demands and the BPP response had been circulated to all the Trustees and was on the Agenda last week and Dinshaw Mehta as the Chairman of the meeting has deliberately not taken up this item.
The Union agitation is abetted, aided and encouraged by Dinshaw Mehta and at his behest the Union leader Mr. Dhunji Netarwalla had the temerity to write an insulting letter to a Trustee some months ago. Further, most of the Trustees were against putting up a Union Notice Board in our sacred Doongerwadi, but Dinshaw Mehta insisted that we should allow it and in fact he accompanied the Union Committee members to Doongerwadi and made sure the Union Notice Board was put up in Doongerwadi.
For the record, my wife Anahita has always accompanied Trustees Khojeste Mistree and Arnavaz Mistry to Doongerwadi and helping to improve the condition of the bunglis and sending outside labour and paying them for removing garbage can by no stretch of imagination be termed as "interference”. This again proves that Dinshaw Mehta is playing games.
It will be in the interest of the BPP and the community if Dinshaw Mehta stops abetting Union activities in the BPP and holding the BPP to ransom to further his personal vendetta against me and the majority Trustees. Now that Dinshaw Mehta has been reduced to a pitiable minority, he will do his best to disrupt the working of the BPP, especially in Doongerwadi, so as to show the majority Trustees in a bad light. Shameful indeed!
Email dated June 22, 2015 from Mehta to fellow trustees and others
What (nonsense) Yazdi spouts. Unions demands have been on Agenda since over 6 months and even our senior executive Aspi Sarkari brought to our attention about the union requesting a meeting and Yazdi taking on the mantle that he will reply. All this is minuted. Last week I terminated the meeting discussing Mr. Cama's resignation to avoid confrontation and controversy as recently witnessed and his twisting this adjournment to save himself is despicable. I have at no stage aided or abetted the Union but I treat all staff with respect and not as menials. The Union Board was put up as per Boards decision and approval. Hence Yazdi is lying once again. As regards Unions objection to your wife interfering in Doongerwadi affairs the Union has already complained to you so stop blaming me for everything and it would be in interest of community if you stopped aggravating the Union else you will bring Doongerwadi to a standstill. Doongerwadi is too precious for me to resort to such activities as alleged by you.
"I hope they come to their senses,” said Mumbai Mazdoor Sabha general secretary Dhunji Naterwalla speaking over the phone to Parsiana on June 22. He said all the class IV employees are wearing red Gandhi caps to protest the BPP’s indifference to renewing the agreement that expired in January this year. "They are not even willing to discuss the matter. The crux of the main problem is Yazdi Desai. He thinks he is high and mighty,” said Naterwalla.