The much-awaited meeting of the National Joint Committee for Steel (NJCS), held here on November 20, came a cropper, as the joint proposal mooted by the member trade unions was rejected by the SAIl management.
The next meeting is scheduled for December 8th and 9th. Sources said that the joint offer of the unions were MGB (minimum guarantee benefit) 18 per cent plus one additional increment, fringe benefits including existing perks plus 10 per cent of new basic wef November 20, no gratuity ceiling, pension fund ie company’s contribution 6 per cent plus and contractor laborers’ wage with minimum increase of Rs1,000 and above with VDA linked, but surprisingly the management offered 3 per cent fringe benefit and did not agree to other points.
As a result, the aggrieved leaders of INTUC, CITU, AITUC and HMS walked out of the meeting. But leaders of other trade unions, who were not authorised to sit in NJCS, raised questions on the capability and integrity of those four trade union leaders.
They even raised questions on the genuineness of the committee. They alleged that due to poor show of the leaders in NJCS meeting, the workers have been suffering for more than 22 months.
CITU national vice-president Bishnu Mohanty, who was present in the meeting, said that if the management does not accept the demands of the unions in the larger interests of the working class and SAIl as a whole, there would be no other way out than going for a movement and SAIl authority will be held responsible for this.
AITUC leader Pravat Mishra, terming the failure as unfortunate, blamed the management for its anti-worker attitude. Rourkela Shramik Sangh leader MDN Panikar urged for 30 per cent MGB and 46 per cent perks. He, citing the Contracts labour Regulation Act, also urged to engage workers in regular jobs.
He further demanded hike in wages of the workers in proportionate to the enhanced TA and DA allowances of the NJCS members.