RINL Workers Demand Full Pay, Oppose Production-Linked Wages
Employees of the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant under the banner of Steel CITU, staged a demonstration in front of the plant’s main administrative building on Friday, demanding payment of full salaries on time and withdrawal of a circular linking wages to production.
The protest comes in the wake of directions from the Regional Labour Commissioner, who reportedly objected to the payment of wages based on production and advised the management to ensure that full salaries are disbursed without delay. Steel Plant Employees Union general secretary J. Ayodhya Ram urged the management to implement these directions immediately.
Addressing the workers, Mr. Ayodhya Ram alleged that wage cuts were being imposed on employees who have no direct connection with production levels. He said that although 6.14 lakh tonnes of hot metal were produced in December, the plant incurred losses of Rs 110 crore due to what he termed “unwise decisions” by the management. He further claimed that Rs 12 crore was deducted from wages payable for December and Rs 2.5 crore in January, while the company faced an additional burden of about Rs 50 crore due to fluctuations in the dollar exchange rate.
Stating that the Labour Commissioner had made it clear that there was no link between production and wages, he said the directive should be reflected in salary payments this month. Otherwise, he warned, the government and the management would be responsible for any consequences.
Steel CITU president U. Ramaswamy accused the management of subjecting workers to financial and mental stress. He alleged that instead of encouraging employees to improve production, losses were being shifted onto workers, and expressed concern that such measures could be aimed at facilitating privatisation. He also criticised the suspension of House Rent Allowance and the increase in electricity charges for those residing in Steel City, describing them as violations of workers’ rights.
Union leaders said that if the issues were not resolved, they would intensify their agitation by mobilising workers on a larger scale.
Several union leaders, including P. Srinivasa Raju, B. Appa Rao, Maridayya, B. Mahesh, Srinivasa Reddy, A. Srinivas, Chandrasekhar, Suryanarayana, Appala Raju, and D. Durgaprasad, along with office-bearers of various departments and a large number of workers, took part in the protest.