VISAKHAPATNAM: Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) has reinstated 4,200 contract workers who were terminated on September 27. The reinstatement, effective from September 29, came after a two-day protest by the workers outside the office of the Executive Director and intervention from Regional Labour Commissioner KJ Mohanty.
Following the termination, the workers expressed their concerns in a meeting with Mohanty on Wednesday, highlighting the challenges faced due to their sudden removal from work. With Mohanty’s involvement, a resolution was reached, leading to the official reinstatement of the contract workers.
Union representatives further requested that the old gate pass system be restored instead of issuing temporary passes for one month. They also raised concerns about existing allowances and indicated that industrial action could follow if their demands were not met. The RINL management clarified that around 3,700 contract labour passes were cancelled and that they are working to restore the passes in the online system soon. The biometric database of the workers will also be reinstated. During discussions, all parties agreed to maintain the existing gate pass system along with the necessary facilities. The unions were advised to maintain peace and avoid industrial actions that could disrupt plant production.
Also, the Uttarandhra Praja Samstha organised a protest rally on Wednesday titled “Raandi Kadali Randi” opposing the privatisation of the Visakha Steel Plant. The rally saw participants urging the Union government to halt the privatisation process and ensure the plant’s continued operation in the public sector.
APCC chief YS Sharmila, who was on a one-day visit to Visakhapatnam, staged a sit-in protest at Ukkunagaram on Wednesday and warned that she would resort to a hunger strike if the workers’ services were not restored. Sharmila criticised the move, stating it was unjust to stop contract workers while the State government was not opposing the privatisation of VSP. She said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would support the ongoing agitation if necessary.
