TV
A major protest broke out near the Paradip International Cargo Terminal (PICT) gate on Tuesday as hundreds of contract workers staged a dharna demanding the reinstatement of 32 retrenched labourers.
The agitation, which has been gaining momentum in recent weeks, is being spearheaded by Sudhakar Mantri, president of the Paradip Port Workers and Employees Union.
According to the agitating workers, the 32 labourers were laid off unjustly, leaving their families in severe financial distress. Despite raising the issue multiple times with the company management, they allege that their concerns have been ignored.
The workers said their demands have remained unfulfilled for a long time, forcing them to intensify their protest this time.
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Union leader Sudhakar Mantri addressed the gathering and accused the company authorities of showing complete insensitivity to the plight of laborers. He stressed that the workers have been patiently waiting for a solution, but repeated agitations and appeals have failed to elicit any positive response from the management.
The protesting workers have warned that they will continue their agitation indefinitely until the retrenched laborers are reinstated. They also cautioned that if the authorities continue to neglect their demands, the protest may escalate further, potentially affecting port operations.
This fresh wave of protests has once again highlighted the long-standing disputes between contract workers and management at Paradip, underlining the urgent need for intervention and dialogue to resolve the issue.
