ROURKELA: The election for recognition of trade unions of SAIL’s Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), scheduled on November 15, will be a litmus test for BMSaffiliated Rourkela Ispat Karkhana Karmachari Sangh (RIKKS) which is looking to register its third consecutive win.
With INTUC-affiliated Rourkela Shramik Sangh (RSS) and Gangpur Mazdoor Manch (GMM) of the district Congress president George Tirkey joining hands to contest the polls together, the BJP-backed RIKKS is likely to face a tough battle. The trade union elections of RSP are significant for mainstream political parties in RN Assembly constituency as the plant’s employees and their families constitute around 40,000 votes.
Sources said RIKKS was an insignificant force seven years back. But it took everyone by surprise by winning the union polls in 2015, a year after the BJP-led NDA coalition formed its government at the Centre. RIKKS won again in 2018. But if the outfit loses this time, it would be a huge blow to the BJP and Sundargarh MP Jual Oram. In 2018 election, a total of 12,423 votes were cast of which RIKKS secured 4,861 while the RSS and GMM got 3,730 and 2353 respectively.
RIKKS’s fate largely hinges on the pending wage settlement of RSP workers which is the major poll plank. RIKKS president HS Bal said the national joint committee on steel (NJCS) meeting, scheduled on Thursday, is likely to finalise wage revision as per BMS’ demand of 13 per cent minimum guaranteed benefit and over 27 per cent perks on basic pay. He exuded confidence that BMS would win again notwithstanding the combined fight from RSS and GMM.
The trade union elections will be held after a delay of 18 months. Nomination for the polls will close on October 23 and voting through secret ballot will be held through 14 booths inside RSP campus and two at captive township of the plant. As many as 11,059 employees of the plant will exercise their franchise in the polls. The Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) will officiate as the returning officer.