RSP Contract Workers' Strength Grows, So Does Their Vulnerability to Mishaps

THE frequency of mishaps in Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) has brought the focus back on gradually reduction of skilled workers and the vacuum getting filled with contractual workers, mostly unskilled in nature.

- PRASANJEET SARKAR @Rourkela

This arrangement may be favourable for the financial health of the PSU but it has posed question marks on the safety and security at the work sites. In most cases, the contractual workers face the hazards.

The trade unions often blame the RSP management for engaging contract workers in perennial nature of jobs in stark violation of the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970 and the NJCS (National Joint Committee on Steel) agreement.

Reliable source said strength of regular non-executive employees of the RSP has dropped to around 9,400 with natural separation but there has been no commensurate recruitment. As of now, they said, there are about 12,000 contract workers including around 10,500 deployed in works sites and the rest in project areas.