All trade unions at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), under a joint forum, have served a formal notice of a 24-hour strike starting at 6:00 am on 20 May 2025. The unions’ decision to strike is rooted in their opposition to the proposed strategic sale of RINL. Their charter of demands calls on both the management and the central government to withdraw the sale plan. Key industrial demands include the allocation of captive iron ore mines to RINL, merging RINL with the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), and securing raw material supply to resume operations of Blast Furnace-3. They also seek a comprehensive revival package to upgrade upstream and downstream facilities, enabling full-capacity production.
Worker-related grievances were also central to the strike call by the trade unions of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. These include immediate implementation of revised wages, consistent monthly disbursement of full salaries, retrospective restoration of House Rent Allowance (HRA), and an end to the dismissal of contract workers. The unions also demanded the reinstatement of employee welfare initiatives that had been discontinued.
Beyond local issues, the charter highlighted broader concerns regarding national labour and economic policies. The unions urged the repeal of the four labour codes, cessation of public sector privatisation and the National Monetisation Pipeline, and a 50% profit share from mineral mining for local communities, particularly Adivasis and farmers.
They also rejected any disinvestment or outsourcing models at RINL and SAIL, including the MDO (Mine Developer and Operator) model. The unions stressed that all labour-related decisions must involve bipartite consultations and called for the resolution of long-pending matters related to wages, allowances, and working conditions.
Additional nationwide demands included equal pay for contract workers, higher pensions under EPS in line with Supreme Court directions, a national minimum wage of Rs 26,000, a minimum monthly pension of Rs 9,000, restoration of the old pension scheme, and removal of bonus and gratuity ceilings.
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