Contract workers of ACC (Holcim), a multinational cement company, in Chhattisgarh, have started an indefinite dharna from April 3, 2011, demanding the implementation of a High Court order for their regularization and for implementation of the Cement Wage Board Award.
Contract workers of ACC (Holcim), a multinational cement company, in Chhattisgarh, have started an indefinite dharna from April 3, 2011, demanding the implementation of a High Court order for their regularization and for implementation of the Cement Wage Board Award.
In the cement industry, contract workers have no rights, and are, for the most part denied even the legally mandated minimum wages, provident fund privileges and basic safety equipment. Even though the Cement Wage Board Award, a tripartite agreement between the Government, the Cement Manufacturer’s Association and the Central Trade Unions in force since 1978, has prohibited the use of contract labour in all cement manufacturing operations except loading and unloading of raw materials and packing, and even in those operations contract workers are expected to be paid at the same rate as regular workers; in actual practice, the use of contract workers in cement plants is rampant. In Chhattisgarh alone, it is estimated that there are 3,232 permanent workers and 11,000 contract workers in cement plants.
The managements of these companies continue to blatantly violate the workers rights, in full view of the government. In such a situation, the workers are fighting militantly for their rights.