On 3 December 2015, a successful one-day strike was observed in the Bokaro steel plant. Nearly 3000 workers participated in the strike. Since several days an intense brainstorming had been happening among the workers. Nowadays, in SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited) a lot of issues are being determined in forums like NJCS (National Joint Committee for Steel). This forum includes CITU, AHMS, INTUC and BMS. Though each of these have been recognized in some or the other unit of SAIL, whenever there is a dialogue with the SAILS administration regarding the questions of the workers, there is always a cutting down in the rights of the workers. This has been happening for the past one year. Hence the credibility of the NJCS has fallen down among the workers. For instance, we can see that earlier there was no sealing on the gratuity of the workers but now the limit has been set at 10 lakhs. More recently even the health facilities have been withdrawn from the dependents who are 25 years of age. Now, when the time for the bonus is near, it is already being spread through the media that since SAILS has suffered loses, there will be no bonus. The NJCS has failed to refute this even though the Bokaro steel plant made a profit of 451 crores last year. As a result of this, the anger of the workers against the NJCS leaders and it is in view of this situation that we decided to form a forum of a non NJCS unions. These include- AICCTU, JMS, Bokaro Mazdoor Samaj, Akhil Jharkhand Shramik Sangh and Jharkhand Krantikaari Mazdoor Union (PCC-CPIML).
This non NJCS front immediately raised four key issues: (i) temporary workers be paid a bonus equivalent to the last year before Dusshehra, (ii) 20% bonus be given to contractual workers, (iii) medical facilities be renewed for the dependents aged 25 years and (iv) an end be put to cut in all the facilities. Since usually NJCS negotiates on these issues, the talks with SAILS management has started in Delhi, but even though the practice is to give bonus before Dusshehra, the entire Dusshehra period went in the talks. During this time the front intensified its campaign and warned the management of a lunching a movement if the justice was not done to the workers. Even NJCS warned the management of strike anytime after 3 November. The SAILS management immediately sent Rs.9000/- to the account of all the workers, however during this period, the workers were able to obtain a copy of a document that had been signed by the NJCS in which there had been an agreement on the ending of medical facilities to the dependents aged 25 years. The front also came to know that the NJCS had been hiding the information that SAILS management had proposed a cut in several facilities provided to the workers. As the anger of the workers increased, NJCS decided to issue a notice of strike on 19 November, and realising the urgency of the situation the front also gave a call for a strike on 19 November. One day before the strike, regional labour commission called unions for a talk. There were also reports in the newspaper about talks on 25 November because of which there is was a situation of confusion. NJCS shifted the date of strike to 3 December, and to ensure that there was no disruption of workers’ unity, the front also gave a call for 3 December. However, Krantikari Ispat Mazdoor Sangh (KIMS), which is run under the leadership of local MLA Samresh Singh, only announced a delay in strike without giving the call for strike. In other situations, they tried to create confusion among workers. On the other hand, BMS and INTUC took back the call for the strike.
In such a situation, the front intensified its campaign and even took out a cycle rally in the last phase preceding the strike to mobilize the workers. During this time, the front also came to know that the news about talks on 25 November had only been circulated to delay the strike and there was no such plan. The front exposed the unions that had used this as a pretence to call off the earlier strike and who had ensured the management that there would be no strike. The front had called for a Sabha on 2 December which the Samresh Singh lead KIMS tried to disrupt. However, the front ensured that the massive was sabha was held. The next day, there were attempts to mobilize those against the strike to disrupt the strike, however, the front ensured that the strike was successfully held. The strike held on 3 December 2002 is remembered till date as a historic event in the movement of Bokaro steel plant workers, however, the strike on 3 December 2015 broke all records. It also showed the workers the way for the future. The intensity and enthusiasm that the strike inspired must be sustained and carried forward.
