PARADIP: Tension prevailed at Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) railway siding here following a clash between workers of two labor unions on Sunday. While a labourer sustained grievous injuries in the clash, handling of fertilizers at IFFCO has been affected since the last two days of the conflict between the two groups.
As per reports, Orissa Stevedores Limited (OSL) has taken the contract for cargo operations in IFFCO plant and has engaged about 1,600 workers for the job. These workers have been divided into two groups. While the majority of 1200 workers are under IFFCO Workers’ Union (IWU) headed by Ghansyam Jena, the rest 400 are affiliated to Paradip Erasama Industrial Workers’ Union (EPIWU) led by Congress-cum-trade union leader Bapi Sarkhel.
The workers of the two unions are mostly engaged in loading and unloading of finished fertilizer bags in rail wagons.Sources said workers of IWU have been humiliating and harassing their counterparts of EPIWU and forcing them to join their union. Earlier, IWU workers had attacked and forced their rivals in EPIWU to sign on blank paper and join their union. There are several cases pending in Paradip police station regarding the attacks by IWU workers on EPIWU members.
Protesting the activities of IWU members, wives along with children of EPIWU workers staged demonstration at IFFCO railway siding on Saturday seeking security for their husbands whose lives are under threat.
Neither IFFCO management nor the transporting agency is providing security to their husbands who are now afraid to work at the railway siding due to frequent attacks by IWU workers, the women alleged.
On Sunday, IWU workers pelted stones and slippers on the women agitators and also attacked the EPIWU members. In the attack, an EPIWU worker, identified as Manoj Biswal, was seriously injured and admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack in critical condition.
Meanwhile, the agitation was called off in the evening after OSL authorities met the irate workers of EPIWU and assured to resolve their issues and take action against the persons who attacked Biswal. A platoon of the police force has been deployed at the railway siding to prevent any further flare-ups.
Administrative Officer of IFFCO Prasanna Kumar Beura said as there was a shortage of rail wagons, the labour unrest did not affect the handling of fertilizer bags at the railway siding as expected. ‘’If any loss is found, it would be deducted from the payment of the transporting agency because IFFCO is least concerned about the affairs of workers of the railway siding,’’ he added.