With two trade unions having challenged the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) union recognition poll held on October 15 in the Odisha High Court, the plant management was yet to recognise the union that won.
The Rourkela Ispat Karakhana Karmachari Sangh (RIKKS), affiliated to the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, got an overwhelming 7,329 votes out of total 14,124 votes cast.
SEAR (Steel Employees’ Association, Rourkela) and IlU (Ispat labour Union) have challenged the election procedure in the High Court and the issue is sub judice. The court will decide whether the results are to be declared or the election be quashed.
It may be noted here since 1994 the Rourkela DlC (State) office had been conducting the union recognition election under the supervision of State labour Commissioner through secret ballot under the Odisha Membership Verification of Trade Union and Recognition Rule. But this time the State DlC was ignored and no uniformity was maintained in polls conducted in all the plants under the Steel Authority of India (SAIl).
According rules, the RSP has to submit the membership return to the State Trade Union Registrar for due verification as it is the competent authority to give registration to a union. After due verification the final list of voters is published enabling them to cast vote.
But this time ignoring all the provisions, the RlC (Central) conducted the union poll on the pretext that the RSP is a Central Government entity and the Central labour Commission is competent to hold the election. Even it ignored the membership verification system which has been followed for years after a verdict of Odisha High Court on Birla Tyre issue.
So challenging the election procedure both the unions (SEAR and IlU) filed a case in the High Court and accepting their petitions, the court directed the RlC to go ahead with the election process till counting keeping the result pending.
SEAR general secretary BN Dash said as per rules, the State labour Commission would conduct the election according to Odisha Membership Verification of Trade Union and Recognition Rule. If RlC (Central) overrides it, then the Central labour Commission should hold union poll election at a time in all the units of SAIl and equal criteria should be maintain in all the units. But while collective bargaining system is followed in Bokaro it is single bargaining system in Rourkela. So the election should be declared null and void, he claimed.
Similarly, the RIKKS leaders said they would definitely get justice from the court and get a chance to serve the workers of the RSP. On the delay in judgment, the leaders said it would not hamper the tenure of recognition as it would be effective from the day they get official recognition. But the delay in judgment is definitely a favourable situation for the RSP management, the trade union experts said.
