Assignment - 1
Trade Union In Jharkhand
Jharkhand Krantikaari Mazdoor Union - JKMU
Submitted by P.Lokeshwari S.Shahana Devi
Jharkhand Krantikaari Mazdoor Union
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. The Jharkhand Krantikaari Mazdoor Union (JKMU) has been struggling for many years demanding permanent status for all workers on contract in perennial jobs in the Bokaro Steel Plant. The JKMU has been made a member of the Jharkhand State Contract Labour Advisory Board and the Jharkhand State Engineering Industries Wage Board. This is a rare incident as it is usually accepted that only central trade unions are made members of such state level boards. More than 90% of contract workers in the