Bhubaneswar, 22 May (H.S.)A major labour unrest has emerged in Odisha over job security and regularisation of outsourcing and contractual employees. More than 10,000 outsourcing and contract workers have been participating in an ongoing satyagraha at Gandhi Marg in Bhubaneswar since May 18, demanding protection of their jobs and implementation of regularisation policies.
Braving scorching heat, nearly 40-degree Celsius temperatures, and severe weather conditions, the employees have continued their protest uninterrupted. The agitating workers allege that despite rendering years of service, they are being removed from their jobs and deprived of their constitutional rights.
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) State President Badal Maharana alleged that over 15,000 workers employed in key sectors such as power, mining, steel, healthcare, and construction have lost their jobs during the past two years. He further claimed that following the change in government, local Odia workers are being neglected while preference is allegedly being given to outsiders.
According to BMS, despite expansion of infrastructure in the power sector, the number of technical employees is being reduced, adversely affecting emergency services. The organisation stated that experienced and skilled workers with 10 to 25 years of service are being retrenched instead of being regularised.
Meanwhile, the protesters are citing a recent Supreme Court judgment to support their demand for regularisation. The organisation claimed that the apex court has directed regularisation of employees who have been working under contractual or outsourcing arrangements for 10 years or more. BMS maintained that the judgment upholds workers’ rights and dignity under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
The protesters also accused the government of adopting a repressive approach instead of engaging in dialogue. Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh stated that exploitation of workers in the name of cost-cutting is inhumane and could adversely impact both the state’s economy and industrial system.
Appealing to the Prime Minister for intervention, BMS has placed several demands before the government. These include immediate tripartite talks involving the Odisha Government, management authorities, and workers’ representatives; reinstatement of all retrenched workers; and ensuring statutory wages along with social security benefits such as EPF and ESI.
The organisation has further demanded implementation of a transparent labour policy that prioritises employment opportunities for local skilled youth. It has also sought a clear policy guaranteeing job security,
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
