3 months ago
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In a poignant gathering that laid bare the ‘pathetic’ surviving conditions of hundreds of bereaved families, the recently elected committee of the Steel Officers’ Association met Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat recently, seeking urgent involution to code what it described arsenic systemic neglect of Visakha Steel Plant employees and their survivors.
The relation said the dignity of alloy workers and the endurance of their families could not beryllium compromised. While the gathering covered a scope of concern demands, the bosom wrenching testimonies of widow pensioners dominated the discussion.
The relation highlighted a large fiscal anomaly involving the families of deceased employees. According to General Secretary K. V. D. Prasad and committee subordinate K. Satyanarayana, implicit ₹200 crore has been collected from the families of astir 700 deceased employees. This magnitude was deposited arsenic notional provident money and gratuity with Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited to alteration outgo of the past drawn basal wage positive DA arsenic monthly pension till the status property of the employee.
Despite these important contributions, the percent based disbursement of widow pensions, akin to worker salaries since September 2024, has been erratic and inadequate, they alleged. Four months of widow pension payments, amounting to little than ₹20 crore, stay unpaid.
Two widow pensioners, Sandhya and Urmila, briefed the MP connected their “pathetic” conflict to conscionable basal needs arsenic their rightful dues were withheld. “We besides questioned however our pensions are being linked to accumulation targets,” they told him.
“It is conscionable astir ₹4 crore per period for the families of astir 700 deceased employees, but the works is not paying adjacent this,” Mr. Prasad told The Hindu connected Sunday.
He further alleged that for the past 3 months, outgo of salaries to existing employees has been linked to accumulation metrics, resulting successful cuts oregon delays successful wage disbursal.
The relation reiterated its request for the merger of Visakha Steel Plant with Steel Authority of India Limited, which it believes is the lone agelong word solution for the plant’s stability.
The delegation submitted a ceremonial database of grievances, including implementation of promotions based connected notional seniority, contiguous colony of pending wage arrears, withdrawal of the accumulation linked wage circular, outgo of gratuity connected par with Steel Authority of India Limited norms, and a 2nd accidental for astir 1,200 employees whose higher pension request letters were affected by administrative delays.
Mr. Prasad said Mr. Sribharat expressed superior concern, peculiarly implicit the payment of families of deceased employees. He assured the delegation that helium would personally instrumentality up the substance with the Union Steel Minister and the Union Labour Minister, and accepted an invitation to sojourn the SEA Building to proceed discussions with the workforce.
