Focus Rourkela: Why Should Steel & Mines Workers Not Get COVID Package?

Rourkela: The steel and mines industry remained operational during the COVID-19 induced lockdowns during both the waves as it was put under the essential services category. Production, supply and distribution of coal, power, steel, and fertiliser, operations of mines — iron ore, coking coal, thermal coal, limestone, dolomite, manganese, and chromite — as well as running of ferroalloy and pellet plants (which supply raw material to steel plants) were termed “essential services” and exempted from the shutdown in tune with an order of the state government order. However, the fact that the government has not yet given the concerned workers any special benefits defies logic.

Last year,  the Odisha government invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 and issued Odisha COVID-19 Regulations, 2020, under it to continue mining operations. These regulations allow the government to exclude “essential services” from any lockdown restrictions.

As a result, major companies such as Steel Authority of India (SAIL) facilities, including the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) here, continued to function with their workers and daily labourers compelled to report to work at potential risk to their own health and wellbeing and that of their families and communities.

Not surprisingly, a sizeable number of workers were struck with COVID-19, particularly during the recent second wave. It has been reported that about 450 SAIL employees, including 55 of RSP, have so far died of COVID in the second wave. Most of these victims were the sole breadwinners of their family.

The trade unions and executive associations have since been demanding suitable compensation for the families of the victims. Their demands include employment for one of the family members and an ex gratia amount of Rs 50 lakh each.

The silence of the SAIL management on the issue has led to a sense of insecurity among the employees while also putting a question mark on the trade unions for their guarded approach in raising this matter at an appropriate level.

A Navratna company, SAIL enjoys a reputation of extending a slew of welfare measures for its 68,000 employees, besides its CSR activities. However, its silence at this time when the whole country is rallying around rebuilding the lives of families of COVID victims, both at the individual and government level, is making the workers feel rather insecure.

The Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), 1981, which also has corresponding state ESMAs, lists “(xii) any service in any establishment or undertaking dealing with the production, supply or distribution of coal, power, steel or fertilizers” as an essential service. This law is basically meant to prohibit worker strikes and lockouts in industries. The steel ministry and major companies have relied on this law to keep their operations going at this time. Perhaps this has also put limitations on how vocal the trade unions can get even during this unprecedented situation.

Significantly, despite the economic slowdown in the country, SAIL, which had registered a profit of Rs 3170 crores in 2019-20, almost doubled its profit and registered a whopping profit of about Rs 6000 crore in 2020-21.

The contribution of employees and executives in this record growth, particularly during the pandemic, cannot be ignored. Is it not time for the management to win back the confidence of its employees by announcing the right kind of compensation for the families of its COVID victim employees?