Jajpur, November 15 (Odisha.in) Eight number of casual labourers working in the Visa Steels factory located in Kalinga Nagar, the steel hub of India in Orissa’s Jajpur district are on a mass dharma in front of the plant since last three days with their single point demand.
The labourers under the leadership of Sital Prasad Jena were demanding permanent of their jobs in the plant and availabilities of all facilities as regular worker by the plant management.
The casual labourers also staged a demonstration and protest meeting in front of the company gate besides opposing the entry of officials and other company workers.”We are twenty in numbers, but in dharana site we are 8.
We got agitated after the company sent all of us to a labourer contractor. We are company’s casual workers and have already served two and half years in the plant. Instead of making us permanent, the Visa management diverting us from casual worker to contact labours,” claimed Sital Prasad Jena.
When contacted, Ashok Agrwal, management key man of Visa Steel said, ” The agitating labourers are not our employees”. When asked why they sat on dharana in front of your gate since last three days Mr. Agrwal could not give the answer.
Jakhapura police station officer-in-charge, Ramesh Chandra Padhy said the agitators are on dharana in a peaceful manner.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Labourer Commissioner (ALC), Jajpur Road was discussing with agitating labourers and the Visa Steels for a settlement.
ALC, Hamid Khan who has held talks with the agitating workers on Wednesday said, “The agitators are engaged in canteen, ambulance and other official work of the plant.
Earlier, the agitators were the casual workers in the plant and subsequently they were transferred to the administration under a labour contractor.
It led them to get agitated. We have fixed 16 next of this month for settlement and accordingly intimated both company management and the agitators”.
Odisha.in