Police arrested 53 workers of the Action Ispat and their supporters for trying to impose a shutdown in the factory. The workers were later released after they were detained for about 10 hours.
On Sunday, the disgruntled Action Ispat workers under the banner of Action Ispat Revolution Committee had called for a Jharsuguda bandh to protest against the apathy of Action Ispat management after its industrial unit was abruptly shut down without notice to workers and paying their wages.
On December 13, about nine workers of the unit sat on a fast- unto-death stir in front of the district Collectorate demanding the administration’s assistance in resolving their issues with the company. Three agitating workers were admitted in the Jharsuguda Headquarters Hospital after their health condition deteriorated. The district Collector and the ADM personally met these workers and requested them to call off their fast but the workers haven’t budged and are demanding the salaries of about 1,000 workers which are outstanding for the last eight months. On Sunday, Jharsuguda MlA Naba Kishore Das also met the workers and promised resolution of their problems with the company.
Earlier, State BJP president Basant Panda and Brajraj Nagar MlA Radha Rani Panda also had met the workers.
Action Ispat officials were not available to comment on the worker’s demands.