State-owned miner NMDC reported 30-40% decline in daily production as workers at iron ore mines in Chhattisgarh and Karnataka resorted to a slowdown and work-to-rule over wages.
The estimated impact on operations at Kirandul and Bacheli complexes in Chhattisgarh and Donimalai complex in Karnataka is 30-40% reduction in production per day, NMDC said, accusing the trade unions of resorting to “wilful slowdown of work and work-to-rule in connection with wage settlement.” Conciliation proceedings before the Chief Labour Commissioner in New Delhi are posted for March 17.
The company said the management is “putting its best effort to resolve the issue at the earliest for resuming production at normal level.”
Stating that the trade unions had resorted to protest since March 6, NMDC sources said the strike comes at time when the company is racing against time to meet the annual target. The production has fallen by more than 60% in the last couple of days, posing a big challenge in even matching last financial year’s 45 million tonne output, they said.
The previous wage revision came into force in 2017 and the next is due from 2022. In February 2023, the unions submitted the charter of demands. In August 2024, the bilateral sub-committee submitted its recommendations and the NMDC board put its stamp on the proposal in September 2024, the company said.
Published – March 10, 2025 09:46 pm IST
