INDIA

2,000 Aluminum Workers Cheated

From World Socialist Web Site, 19 May 2001

Despite assurances given on 8 May by Bharat Aluminum (BALCO) management that it would re-instate all 7,000 workers who took part in the recent two month strike, over 2,000 contract workers have been refused reemployment.

The strike was called to protest the decision to privatise BALCO’s Korba plant, one of the country’s largest aluminum producing plants.

The company justified the refusal to rehire the contract workers by claiming that their work agreements had expired. Unions claim that the dismissals are in breach of the deal they struck with the company to end the protracted dispute.