The contract labourers in Tata Sponge situated at Bilaipada in Joda block held a sit-in demanding fulfillment of several demands, including hike in daily wage, medical facilities and dress on the Utkal Divas.
Sources revealed that the contract labourers are engaged in all kinds of works of the company starting from the gardening to production, maintenance and many others important jobs, but they are denied the salaries available to permanent workers. The agitators alleged that that the sponge industry being a hazardous unit for smoke and dust, it should provide medical facilities what it was not doing. Nor is it providing dress and safety apparatus to work in the polluted areas.
It is to be noted that the Supreme Court in its recent judgement has held that there should be equal payment for the equal work and denial of the same is nothing but an exploitative management. let alone the compliance of the Supreme Court orders, the contract labourers in Tata Sponge are even denied of the minimum wages as per the of the Central Government declaration on January 15, 2015.
The striking workers further alleged that district labour Department, which is supposed to facilitate for the compliance of the Supreme Court decision and rules, is not looking after their interests. When this reporter tried to know the view of JR Hasda, DlO, Keonjhar, he denied of having received any complaint from the contract labourers.
Meanwhile, sources revealed that the strike was called off after the assurance by factory management to fulfill the demands.