Amid inordinate delay in wage revision for 57 months, the labour union politics is getting momentum in the steel city as the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) recognition election is round the corner.
Though the Central Labour Commissioner has not yet declared the final date for the election but the preparation is underway as Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner Shakuntala Pattanaik was appointed as returning officer and very soon she would be holding meeting with different stakeholders.
It may be mentioned here that since inception, the Rourkela Mazdoor Sabha (RMS), an affiliated wing of Hind Mazdoor Sabha( HMS) was a recognized union for 28 years uninterruptedly. But the changes came when the Orissa High Court directed to have secret ballot polling for recognition.
Accordingly for the first time in the history of RSP union recognition election held through secret ballot in 1995 and Rourkela Shramik Sangh (RSS), an affiliated wing of INTUC (Indian National Trade Union Congress) and RSS, maintained its successive victory till 2014. The situation once again changed in 2014 election as there became a great polarisation in RSS between its the then president Prasanta Behera and its founder and general secretary late MDN Panicker. Besides the workers were uncertain about their arrears of wage revision which was pending since January, 2012. Thirdly BJP has already been in power since 2014 general election.
So, Rourkela Ispat Karakhana Karmachari Sangh (RIKKS), an affiliated wing of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), succeeded to motivate the workers saying that if it got recognition then it would be easy to release the arrears early convincing the Union Government.
Besides, it got the support of Dilip Ray and MDN Panicker and got a landslide victory. Even RIKKS maintained its victory in 2018 election and the best reason was the BJP led NDA Government in Centre and personal approach of the local leaders.
Though after the death of MDN Panicker both the groups of RSS merged and fought the election but they stood in 3rd position and George Tirkey led Gangpur Mazdoor Manch (GMM) stood in 2nd position as many of RSS leaders had already left the union due to fight between two groups.
But this time the union election equation may be quite different. Because George Tirkey is already steering the Congress party as DCC Chief here and both RSS and GMM had already declared to fight the election under one umbrella. Besides, the meeting of RSS leaders with Dilip Ray during his visit to the city may also be a factor as Ray has an influence on some RSP workers too.
Secondly, the wage revision along with other issues like fuel and canteen allowance, electricity bill through China meter, water charges, quarter maintenance, poor health services in IGH etc. related to daily life of a worker may be at the centre stage of the election campaign.
Despite all these, the RIKKS has a sizeable support base among the workers as reflected from the gathering of the workers in its office. Similarly, a gathering was also noticed in the office of RSS and GMM. So, it is expected that this time the fight will be between RIKKS and RSS and GMM team, though many more unions like CITU, RMS, AITUC, UTUC etc would be fighting the election.