Contract labourers of Idcol iron plant at Barbil under Keonjhar district sat on a dharana since Monday afternoon in protest against proposed rehabilitation package of the company for the retirees.
Sources revealed that the Kalinga Iron Works was established in 1956 by the efforts of late Chief Minister Biju Patnaik. However, the plant which is now sick is proposed to be shut down. The authority has announced two rehabilitation schemes for early retirement of the employees; one meant for the permanent employees and the other for the contract labourers.
As for the contract labourers, there is a proposal to give a lump sum of `1, 50,000 to the workman who has worked for more than 20 years which is vehemently opposed by the contract labourers whose number is more than 406.
The contact labourers had a joint meeting with the management in the presence of DlO, Keonjhar Jiten Ram Hasda on August 18 last at Keonjhar in which the company management had agreed to refer the matter to Idcol CMD for reconsideration of the labourers’ demand. But on Monday, when the workers came to know that the management has no interest in fulfilling its commitment, they resorted to a cease work and sat on a dharna.