By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/BONAI/KOIRA: The Sajjan Jindal led JSW Steel, which is now operating as many as 4 big size Iron Ore blocks under Koira-Joda circles of Odisha’s mineral bearing Sundargarh and Keonjhar , may face rough weather in coming days with Sundargarh Khadan Mazdoor Union, an affiliated body of CITU, a CPI(M) backed Labour organisation, announcing to go for an indefinite strike against the Steel maker’s anti-labour policy from February 1.
JSW Steel acquired 4 iron ore mines – Narayanposi, Ganua, Nuagaon and Jajang in the districts of Sundergarh and Keonjhar in Odisha in February, 2019 having known reserves of 1,131 million tonne. Once operational with full capacity, these mines are expected to produce around 36 MT per annum.
“After getting the lease of Ganua and Narayanpasi mines under Koira circles, the JSW Steel has been conspiring to engage certain contractors of mafia nature in those loading sides at Rs 40 per ton ignoring all legal norms. So, the contractor would be engaging the machines in loading job at the cost of 12,000 laboyrers. Even the JSW has already issued loading contract order in favour of a woman at Barsuan side who happens to be the wife of a scrap mafia (in past several times police have put him behind the bar). Now that mafia using his muscles power is trying to remove the labourers to engage the machine,” CITU National Vice-President Bishnu Mohanty said.
To gather public support, the CPI(M) backed Trade Union, holding padayatra and street corner meetings in different pockets of Koira block of Sundargarh. Mohanty said around 12,000 workers engaged in 6 railway sidings at Bimalagarh, Barsuan, Roxy, Renjada, Pattasahi and Bandiposh. Though the minimum wages of the Central Government should be applicable and each labourer should get at least Rs 250 per ton as wage but presently, the labourers are getting Rs 100.
He reiterated that by no means would his union bear it. Mohanty further said due to the anti labour attitude of JSW, thousands of labourers would not only be rendered jobless but they would be forced to choose the unethical path by which the Maoist activities may gear up once again. So, to break the JSW in its anti labour policy, the strike is inevitable and in this regard a notice has been served to the appropriate authorities. For any consequence the JSW will be responsible. Even during padayatra the protest will lead to JSW office, he added.
Bonai CPI(M) MLA and CITU State vice president Laxman Munda said, ” We will take to the streets on the principle of ‘do- or- die’ against the anti labour attitude of the JSW. We may get bullet but will not allow JSW to get success in its anti labour policy.”
