Strike cripples production at NMDC's iron ore mine

Senior executive reportedly passed derogatory comment against workers

Production in the National Mineral Development Corporation’s (NMDC) biggest iron-ore mine, in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, has come to a halt following workers’ strike.

Workers in the Kirandul complex, the biggest iron-ore mine of the NMDC with an annual production capacity of about 20 million tonne (mt), had gone on strike after a senior executive reportedly passed a derogatory comment. The Kirandul complex is part of NMDC’s Bailadila iron ore mines. The company operates another complex, Bacheli in the same mines having a production capacity of about 11 mt per annum.

Of the three mechanised iron ore mines of NMDC, two are in Bailadila of Dantewada district. Both the mines contribute major share of NMDC’s total output. Kirandul complex houses three deposits namely 11B, 11C and 14. The complex has a production capacity of 65,000 tonne a day but it has been confined to 25,000 tonne presently following weak demand.

The strike started four days ago and was likely to continue. “There is only a single point demand; immediate removal of the officer (the senior executive),” Rajesh Sandhu, secretary of the Samyukta Khadan Majdoor Sangh told Business Standard.

A company spokesperson said executive director (personnel) Sandeep Tula was holding talks with the workers’ representatives to resolve the issue, adding that the regional labour commissioner and the president, NMDC Workers Federation, have also been requested to end the impasse. The spokesperson said the production loss would be negligible.

The management had started the parley to end the deadlock but the trade unions said there would be no compromise and the officer had to be removed from the project, Sandhu said, adding the working style of the officer, using derogatory words had created insecurity among the workers.

Besides being the biggest, the Kirandul complex is also the oldest project of the NMDC that was commissioned in 1968.

This is for the first time in the history of the mines that the workers had come out on streets against any senior executive.

The company said the development was the teething problem as the workers were familiarizing themselves with the new management representative.

Executive Director (Personnel) Sandeep Tula is holding talks with the workers representatives to resolve the issue, the company spokesperson said, adding that the Regional Labour Commissioner and the President, NMDC Workers Federation have also been requested to intercede to end the impasse.

The spokesperson said the production loss would negligible and could be adequately made up subsequently.