Indefinite strike by UCIL employees enters third day

Indefinite strike by the workers of Uranium Corporation of India in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district today entered the third day, affecting production in the company.

Around 4300 workers of UCIL's six units, including Jadugora Uranium Mines, Turamdih Mines, Narwapahar, Bhatin, Baghjata Mines and Mahuldih, are on a strike since Thursday demanding 27 per cent wage hike and two increments, General Secretary of the Uranium Kamgar Union (UKU) Rajaram Singh said.

"The production in UCIL has been stalled completely for the third consecutive day today as no worker has reported to duty," Singh claimed.

The four labour unions -- INTUC affiliated Jadugora Labour Union (JLU), Indian Federation of Trade Union affiliated Uranium Kamgar Union (UKU), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh affiliated Uranium Mazdoor Sangh and JMM affiliated Singhbhum Uranium Mazdoor Union (SUMU) -- are supporting the strike.

General secretary of JLU, Subal Kumar Das, who took part in the tripartite talks held between the representatives of labour unions, company management and Regional Labour Commissioner Rajan Verma last night, said the stalemate continues.

He alleged that the UCIL management was sticking to 18 per cent hike whereas labour unions were unwilling to accept anything below 27 per cent guaranteed benefit and two increments.