Woman auto driver, allegedly denied right to work, reinstated in Kerala’s Kochi

A 52-year-old woman autorickshaw driver has alleged that she was not allowed to work at an auto stand outside the Ernakulam Junction railway station for over four months by members of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) there after being expelled from the union. She was reinstated to the stand on Friday after her plight caught public attention through media reports.Usha Babu, a native of Fort Kochi, said the union members had threatened her on multiple occasions when she tried to enter the stand. She claimed that she was ousted from the union following false allegations. She added that she and her ailing husband had been surviving on the income from her work after their son’s death.Ms. Babu had to work from different stands and random locations after her fallout with the union. She, in turn, approached the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), which attempted to resolve the issue through talks with the CITU. “We took up Ms. Babu’s cause as we found it to be a violation of human rights. We wanted to protect her right to work though she is not a member of our union,” said T.C. Sanjith, working committee member, AITUC.Ernakulam District Autodrivers Association (CITU) general secretary Sakkeer Hussain said the union leadership intervened in the issue as soon as the matter came to its attention. “Our unit expelled the woman following several complaints against her. However, we have instructed the unit not to disrupt her right to work. Accordingly, she was reinstated to the stand,” he said. Published - August 08, 2026 01:56 am IST