I am a master in India

Chapter 438 Strike
In Lambada village, hundreds of villagers are gathered under palm trees.

A burly man with a rugged face stood in front of the crowd, spitting as he spoke.

He was excited, and his words were full of persuasive meaning. The villagers below were sometimes hesitant, and sometimes excited.

More than half an hour later, the big man finally looked down with burning eyes.

What do you think of this plan?

"Mi Xin, can the union really work?"

"Of course, the factory is currently only managed by South Bia. Those security guards are all new hires from the past year and don't know anything."

"But we organized a union more than ten years ago, and in the end, not only did it fail, but many people also lost their jobs."

"Idiot, this time is different. That boss is from out of town; he has no connections with the local police, and he doesn't know any officials. This is our territory, and we call the shots!"

As soon as Mi Xin finished speaking, a murmur arose from below. Everyone realized that this might really be an opportunity.

“I have met with the union representative, and he promised to send people to support us as long as we strike. Then he will force the factory to make concessions and recognize our union.”

"People from the All-China Federation of Trade Unions?" The murmurs below grew louder.

“That’s right. As long as our legal union is established, we can negotiate with the factory and get them to raise wages! If they don’t agree, then we’ll continue the strike!” Mi Xin waved his hand domineeringly.

Wow! The discussion below became even more lively.

The word "salary increase" is like a numbing agent, making everyone dizzy and blushing.

"Mi Xin, are we going to rely on ourselves?" someone asked.

"We have over three hundred people, and if we persuade some more out-of-towners, we can easily gather five or six hundred!" Mi Xin waved his hand with great confidence.

The crowd cheered, as this number was already quite large, almost half of the steelworkers.

"The rest of the guys are cowards. If we go on strike, they'll definitely hide long ago. Besides, it's a good thing for them; no one's stupid enough to oppose us."

Mi Xin was very confident; he had already considered all possible scenarios. No matter how you looked at it, his side had a significant advantage.

"What if those Mardas cause trouble?" a voice suddenly rang out.

The scene fell silent; the Malda people's notorious stench was well-known throughout the Kusser region.

In previous strikes, the Mardal laborers were a crucial factor in the factory owners' repeated victories.

They will use all sorts of methods to sabotage the strike, completely shameless.

For the Lamba people, the biggest enemy of the strike was not the factory owners, nor the managers of Nambia, but the Malda laborers.

The villagers all looked at Mi Xin; dealing with those unscrupulous guys was going to be very troublesome.

“I have a way!” Mi Xin’s eyes lit up. “The biggest enemy of those lowly people is food.”

"food?"

"Yes, plenty of food, delicious food, and plenty of Fanny."

The Mardas were so poor that they almost never had enough to eat. If they were suddenly presented with fine wine and liquor, they would inevitably feast and drink until they were completely drunk.

Everyone agreed with Mi Xin's method, because they themselves might have fallen for it too.

So the people of Lambada village started to take action. They brought out their treasured possessions and even pooled their money to buy a lot of cheap liquor.

As evening fell, led by Mi Xin, the villagers visited the cabin where the laborers in Marda lived.

Unexpectedly, the laborer in Marda had already gone to bed earlier.

Food scraps and overturned empty wine bottles were scattered everywhere.

Mi Xin and his group were a bit confused. It seemed that someone had already completed the task for them.
These sleeping Mardas clearly had just eaten and drunk their fill; they hadn't had so much food and drink in a long time.

Mi Xin looked at the bottle of liquor in his hand. It had been spiked with a substance that could keep them asleep for two days and two nights, but now it seemed they were no longer needed.

Well, as long as the Mardans don't cause trouble, that's fine.

Having unexpectedly dealt with his most formidable opponent, Mi Xin then spent the night persuading the migrant workers from other places whom he knew.

Things went very smoothly. Mi Xin didn't even need to reason with them or appeal to their emotions; they all expressed their willingness to support his strike.

It was so strange. After leaving the workers' quarters, Mi Xin kept scratching his head.

These guys, while they wouldn't normally go against me, have never given me a kind look either.

Why are you being so enthusiastic today? It's like... you're deliberately trying to please me.

Mi Xin shook his head. He was more convinced that the workers had suffered under the steel mill for too long and that it was time for them to rise up in rebellion.

What Mi Xin didn't know was that shortly after he left, someone secretly went out to tip him off.

A strike for higher pay? Nobody believes that!

As migrant workers from other places, they didn't even have the courage to tell the government inspectors the truth, for fear of losing the jobs they relied on to make a living.

Moreover, the great Mr. Sur has already given them a raise, several hundred rupees more than before.

They even gave out two sets of work clothes at once, with the extra ones for changing and washing.

Towels, rubber slippers, gloves... these small items are available to almost everyone.

They were so happy; the workers had never experienced anything like this before.

These two seemingly simple work clothes are the only garments that cover their bodies.

They have no money and are reluctant to spend money on clothes, so they usually rely on their tattered work clothes to get by.

When I get back to my dorm after get off work, I just go around naked; it saves money and hassle.

When the previous factory owner was in charge, these workers only received work clothes on their first day of work, and those were used by others.

Nothing was ever reissued after that, and I had to pay for all the expenses myself.

After Mr. Sue arrived, the workers realized that they could enjoy so many benefits.

If you use those gloves and rubber slippers sparingly, you could easily exchange them for some money at the market.

Most importantly, Mr. Sue also planned to build them new dormitories, the kind that are nice and like apartments. This news came from Pradeep, a tinker who does the hardest work and is highly respected among the workers.

The middleman, Saka, confirmed the news, and even the head of security, Kasik, was talking about it.

That's great. Which worker wouldn't want their dormitory to truly feel like home?

But now, someone wants to ruin this beautiful vision!
Some people want to stop the great Mr. Sue from bringing a better life to the workers.

They want to strike! They want to destroy all of this with their own hands!
Everyone knew that a strike would signify a formal break between Mr. Sue and the workers.

Countless experiences have taught them that workers often end up with bad outcomes.

They were content; Mr. Sue was kinder than all the previous factory owners.

They wouldn't allow their beautiful dormitory to be ruined before it even began; whoever messed it up was their enemy.

Mr. Dwaram is right; we must distinguish between enemies and friends.

Then secretly write them down so you can catch them all in one fell swoop.

Fire tongsman Pradeep has assured him that he will handle those traitors.

He was the strongest worker in the factory; no one could match him.

...

The night before the strike, Mishin led the villagers of Lambada in a frenzy of activity.

They thought they had all the workers under control, so they gathered excitedly at the palm tree in the morning, ready to do something big.

To be honest, these villagers actually looked pretty convincing.

Some people held up signs with strike slogans. Others held up banners with equally eye-catching slogans.

Most of them were there to make a show of force; they were either unarmed or carrying bamboo sticks, and they looked like they were all united against a common enemy.

Mi Xin looked at all this with great satisfaction, and a sense of pride and ambition welled up in his heart.

With two or three hundred people around, what big things can't we accomplish?
Later, we'll call on those people we persuaded last night; their power will be boundless.

"Let's go!" He waved his hand and led the villagers in a grand procession toward the village entrance.

There is an old road that leads directly to the factory, and it only takes about ten minutes to get there.

The group had to stop as soon as they stepped out of the village.

A much larger group of people, easily over a thousand, blocked their way. Looking out, the sheer number of them was terrifying.

The villagers stirred slightly as they recognized the leaders.

The tall, burly fire tongsman Pushdip, along with Kasik and others dressed in security uniforms, were quite conspicuous.

Especially the dozen or so security guards, each carrying a bamboo stick covered in copper, made the villagers' legs tremble uncontrollably.

Damn it! And those Marda laborers, they were completely drunk last night, how come they're all full of energy now?

Look at their excited eyes; they seem ready to pounce and make a big splash at any moment.

Little did they know, the Mardans had already been bribed. Yesterday's lavish meal was actually an advance payment of their wages.

As for thugs, it all comes down to who offers the highest price.

Of course, the "equal treatment" promised by Dvaram was a condition that the Marda people found hard to refuse.

They crave recognition, even if it's just superficial.

Once this task is done well, the Mardas will never have to worry about food again, and they are all very enthusiastic.

However, the most intimidating force is still the security guards. These men often abuse their power, searching workers every time they leave the factory. If anyone resists, a swift and decisive slap on the wrist will be delivered.

“Pushdeep, Kasik, what... what are you doing?” Mi Xin was also a little scared.

"What for? To bring you here, of course." Kasik pointed a bamboo stick at his nose.

"Are you going to war with the Lambadas?"

"Pah! You're inciting trouble and trying to disrupt factory production. You've got some nerve!"

"You're talking nonsense! I didn't, I didn't!" Mi Xin shook his head repeatedly.

"Then tell me, what are the Lambadas planning to do?"

Mi Xin was speechless for a moment; he couldn't very well say that he was planning to go on strike.

The strike cannot be accomplished without the support of the workers.

As a result, those who promised to participate in the strike yesterday ended up standing on the opposite side today.

This caught Mi Xin off guard, and he realized that things were going badly.

A strike without worker support is nothing short of a riot.

However, now that things have come to this point, Mi Xin has no choice but to step back.

“Working in the steel mill is too hard and dangerous. We only earn a little over three thousand rupees a month. We need more money!”

"Yes, more money! More money!" came shouts from twos and threes behind us.

Mi Xin glanced back unconsciously; the group of idiots seemed to have lost much of their momentum compared to when they first started.

The signs with slogans were taken down, and some people even unconsciously hid them behind their backs.

What happened to our promise to stand together through thick and thin?
"More money?" Pushdeep sneered. "Greedy bastards, the great Mr. Sue has already given us a raise, and you're still not satisfied?"

"Previous factory owners never treated us like this. Your shameless actions will only damage Mr. Sue's trust in us. We will not allow the planned workers' dormitories to be destroyed by you!"

With that, Pushdeep charged forward, brandishing his stick. Kasik and his security guards followed closely behind; they were experts at this kind of thing.

With someone taking the lead, the morale of the other workers also soared.

Pushdeep was right; we must not let this rabble undermine Mr. Sur's trust in us.

(End of this chapter)