Boakro: The simmering anger of Bokaro Steel Plant workers burst into the open this afternoon, as hundreds stormed towards the Chief General Manager’s office in a fiery protest against what they called SAIL’s “dictatorship” and “anti-worker conspiracy.”
The rally, led by Hind Mazdoor Sabha–affiliated Revolutionary Steel Workers Union, began from Blast Furnace No. 03 and roared into the CGM’s office, shaking the plant’s management corridors.
Union General Secretary and NJCS member Rajendra Singh unleashed a scathing attack on the SAIL chairman, accusing him of “power intoxication”, defying the Chief Labour Commissioner’s orders, and betraying Bokaro’s expansion dreams while eyeing the Coal India chairmanship. “The land that made him rich, he now kicks aside,” Singh thundered.
Singh slammed the imposition of “stone-age” incentive schemes and “impossible” production targets that punish workers financially despite record outputs. He likened the plight of contract workers to “slavery,” alleging denial of medical care, safety gear, and fair allowances, while officers “feast in five-star hotels.”
The rally’s mood turned angrier when Singh highlighted unsafe working conditions, pointing to the recent death of worker Shiv Yogi Sharma in a nearby repair unit. “In the name of safety ‘Kavach’, it’s all paper games while workers die,” he said.
Corruption charges flew thick and fast, with Singh alleging collusion between contractors and officials over repeated skip derailments at Furnace No. 05, costing crores in fake maintenance bills. “This loot must be investigated by a high-level probe — and the guilty punished,” he demanded.
The protest ended with a clear deadline: “Enough is enough. Workers are united. You have until September 5 to deliver justice — or get ready for a blast furnace storm that can shake Delhi,” Singh warned, drawing roaring applause.
Union leaders R.K. Singh, Shashi Bhushan, Subhash Chandra Kumbhakar, Vipin Kumar Singh, Ambedkar, Santosh Kumar and others backed the warning, promising a relentless fight until workers’ dignity, safety, and wages are restored.
