''Discriminated'' Mizo workers on tool-down strike

Aizawl, May 16 (UNI) Mizo employees under RBM-Tantia here started a three-day tool-down strike from yesterday in protest against ''racial discrimination''.

There are about 70 Mizo employees under RBM-Tantia, one of the contractors of the ongoing World Bank-funded Aizawl-Thenzawl Lungei road project, sources said.

The Mizo workers alleged that they were not getting equal pay with their non-Mizo counterparts.

'' Not only in terms of pay, we have been discriminated from non-Mizo employees in many ways,'' an employee said. He added that Mizo drivers had been excluded from the recent pay revision.

The Mizo workers have repeatedly submitted their grievances to the high authorities, but no outcome was seen, the employees said.

The RBM-Tantia joint venture is undertaking improvement and upgradation works for a 70-km Buangpui-Lunglei road, a 14-km Aizawl bypass, a 30-km Hawlawn-Dawn road and has completed 12-km Selesih-Thuampui road.

Of the estimated cost of Rs 162.35 crore, the company had spent Rs 78 crore and had completed 38 percent works. The target date for completion of the project is December 31, 2007.

UNI