Six contractual workers climb boiler tower at Chandrapur Ferro Alloy Plant

Six contractual workers of Chandrapur Ferro Alloy Plant climbed the boiler tower on the factorys premises alleging that the company was not implementing a labour commissioners order in their favour.

On Saturday, six contractual workers at the Chandrapur Ferro Alloy Plant (CFP), a unit of the Steel Authority of India (SAIL), climbed the boiler tower on the factory's premises. The workers were protesting the company's failure to implement a labor commissioner's order in their favor.

Demands and Negotiations

The workers, led by Suryakant Chandekar, the working president of the CFP Kamgar Union, climbed the tower around noon and remained there for more than nine hours. They demanded that they be granted 'S-1' status, which is equivalent to that of permanent employees, as they have been doing the same work for more than 20 years. The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had recently directed the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner, Nagpur, to reconsider the matter.

On November 10, the commissioner passed an order asking CFP management to give the workers S-1 status, but the company failed to implement it. In response, the workers decided to take matters into their own hands by climbing the tower.

Resolution

CFP executive director K Rama Krishna said that company officials were trying to establish contact with the protesting workers to resolve the issue. Eventually, the workers climbed down around 10 pm after getting an assurance from local government officials that a meeting of workers and the management would be held to address their concerns.

The incident highlights the plight of contractual workers in India, who often face discrimination and are denied benefits and rights that are available to permanent employees. The protest at the CFP is a reminder of the need for companies to treat all workers fairly and to respect their rights.