Jharkhand Krantikari Mazdoor Union
Jharkhand Krantikari Mazdoor Union (JKMU)
In July JKMU organised a union of 220 contract workers in a newly established private steel factory owned by Electro Steel Casting Ltd. 40 kms from Bokaro. All 500 workers employed in the plant are local workers. 100 workers’ services were terminated for participating in union formation activities. JKMU organised a dharna and blockades with the help of local villagers and forced management to reinstate all workers. The Deputy Labour Commissioner also put pressure on management to take back the workers or else the factory license would be cancelled. The newly formed union held meetings with the ALC on 2nd & 10th July and submitted demand notice to management.
In April-May in Bokaro Power Supply Co. Pvt. Ltd. (a joint venture between SAIL and DVC) JKMU has a union of 500 contract workers. There are multiple unions in the plant, but the JKMU union members in the helper category who had been struggling for a year for implementation of minimum wages and other benefits finally boycotted payment for 10 days. The action ended with implementation of their demands by the contractor and payment of minimum wages was done in the presence of management and union representatives.