The old employees of Rathi Steels Ltd had no other option than to lock up the office of the Deputy Labour Commissioner (DLC) on Saturday last when the pre-fixed tripartite meeting could not be held in the stipulated time.

The steel company established at the other end of river Mahanadi was closed in the year 2012 and the employees of all ranks turned jobless all on a sudden. But the company authorities are now making the renovation work after seven year to run it again.

“However, the authorities who made us jobless are not thinking about us now resulting in mass dissatisfaction,” alleged the old employees.

They have approached the District Labour Officer (DLO) and the Deputy Labour Commissioner (DLC) to take necessary step with the management so that the old employees can get back their jobs.

But to the utter surprise of the employees as well as the public, the company management is not in a mood to listen to the direction the Labour Department and hence, has been avoiding a tripartite meeting of the employees, the Labor Department authorities and the company representatives.

The employees, the labour leaders and even local MLA Nauri Naik got infuriated when the company authorities didn’t turn up on Saturday afternoon as per the stipulated date and time.

The result being, the old employees locked up the office of the DLC and didn’t allow the staff to come out of it.

Looking at the situation, the DLC Haburt Lugun again contacted the Rathi Steel management who assured of another meeting on September 18 afternoon. “If they will not come for the next meeting, then action as per the Labour Act will be taken against them,” said Lugun, the DLC. Local MLA Naik and union leaders warned that if the company does not attend the next meeting, they would stop the ongoing renovation works.