Steel workers’ unions across the country observed a strike on 28 October. The strike was in support of their 14-point charter of demands, including payment of bonus and pending dues of the past 31 months with arrears.
The workers struck work at all the plants of SAIL in West Bengal, at Durgapur Steel, Alloy Steel and ISCO plant at Burnpur. The strike was also observed at other steel plants in the country including Bokaro, Bhilai, Rourkela, etc.
The protesting workers denounced the government and the SAIL management for denying the workers their hard-won rights. They pointed that despite a large of vacancies in jobs, most of the work is being done by daily wage casual workers. They demanded recruitment of workers in regular positions and an end to the exploitation of the daily wage workers.
The management issued threats to dissuade the workers from going on strike. Police was deployed to attack the striking workers at several places, including at the gates of the Durgapur Steel Plant in West Bengal. Despite the intimidation and threats, the steel workers carried out their strike. They have declared that the movement will go on, and that they are preparing for a country-wide steel workers’ strike in the future, if their demands are not met.