After the publication of the final list of unions which are participating in the upcoming Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) union recognition poll by the Regional labour Commissioner (Central), all the unions are busy in luring the workers to their sides.
The poll to be held on October 15 has reached a feverish pitch. In the last recognition election held in 2010, the Rourkela Shramik Sangh (RSS) affiliated to INTUC was the winner.
In the ensuing election, the contest is likely to be among all the four unions like the RSS, the SETU, the RMS and the RIKKS. These unions have affiliations with Central trade unions.
However, due to lack of solid base among the workers, the new found enthusiasm among workers for RIKKS may not be enough to catapult it to the top position. Secondly, the union does not have any experienced labour leader.
The RSS which has been a dominant union for the last two decades has been virtually split between MDN Panikar and Prasant Behera groups. A string of court cases and the management’s reluctance to deal with Panikar have exposed the vulnerability in last four years.
The less said about RMS is the better. In the last election, when for the first time RMS finished third, its campaign was indirectly led by the then Rourkela MlA Sarada Nayak. After the defeat, RMS people blamed Nayak for their downside. In the meanwhile, Nayak was defeated in the last Assembly polls and hence is a spent force now. In spite of this, the stand taken by him is likely to influence and affect the fortunes of the RMS in the coming elections. The RMS has a history of depending on outside support and assistance during elections which is not likely to happen this time.
SETU had captured the imagination of the workers as a militant trade union committed to working class interests. But with the passage of time, much of its hold on the workers has been slashed and in this election, it may be a tough job for it.
The dark horse is George Tirkey, the flamboyant Independent MlA of Biramitrapur who has already created a record by winning twice in succession. His organisation (Gangpur Mazdoor Manch) is in the RSP trade union fray for the first time and what success he may achieve is difficult to assess at present. But his efforts in trying to unite displaced workers, local ST and SC workers are likely to open a new phase in the history of trade union movement in RSP and prove all calculations wrong.
In this confusing scenario, the management is also trying to fish in the troubled waters. For any union to get the status of recognised union it must be able to get at least 30 per cent of the total votes. The management’s strategy is to see that no union gets more than 30 per cent votes and secure a dominant position.
The management hopes that the votes will be fragmented and none will be able to cross the 30 per cent mark. In such a scenario, the management will call the shots as no single union will be in a bargaining position and the management can play its game by putting one union against the other.