Korba. Employees of a private company staged a strong protest at the SECL (South Eastern Coalfields Limited) GM office in Manikpur of the district demanding Diwali bonus. Hundreds of employees gathered outside the office and placed their demands before the officials. Seeing this huge crowd of employees, the officials of the GM office themselves came out and tried to resolve the issue by talking to them. However, when the matter did not work out, the employees warned to gherao the CMD office in Bilaspur on the 26th.
Ramlal Dhiwar, who works in a private company, said that the employees of the private company were in talks with the officials regarding Dussehra and Diwali bonus, but these talks failed. In the meeting, SECL officials said that there is no order from above that we will be able to give bonus to the contract workers.
The employees say that correspondence has been made to the CMD of SECL many times, but despite this they are not given bonus. In such a situation, if they are not given bonus this time also, then the employees of the private company of Kusmunda Mines, Gevra Mines and Manikpur Mines of the district will stop work and will protest by gheraoing the SECL Bilaspur CMD office.
The employees demand that they work for private companies in SECL mines and have been demanding a legitimate Diwali bonus for the past several years, but they have not been given it till now. It is being told that in Manikpur mine, apart from Kalinga Company, Vinay Upadhyay Company, AK Rakesh T-Tine, there are other private companies where employees work. At the same time, in Kusmunda mines, apart from Neelkanth Kalinga, there are other private companies. Similarly, the same companies are working in Gevra and the employees of these companies have united and started a movement for bonus.
Bonus will be given to the employees after the order comes – Area Manager
In this regard, Manikpur SECL Area Manager H.K. Pradhan said that no order has been received regarding giving bonus, but SECL has definitely corresponded regarding this, and the bonus will be given to the employees only after the order comes.
