Workers at Reliance Industries’ factory in Patalganga, on the outskirts of Mumbai, have gone on strike, demanding higher wages for contract labourers.
According to Srinivas Patki, Secretary of the CPI-affiliated All India Industrial and General Workers’ Union, the strike at the factory began on Sunday. He alleged that the majority of shopfloor workers at the RIL factory (about 2,200) are contract labourers, while permanent workers number to 250. The contractual labourers are paid only ₹8,000 a month, while the permanent workers are paid ₹80,000 for the same number of hours worked. Patki said that despite going against the provisions of the Contract Labour Act, RIL has maintained the massive pay disparity for the last 30 years.
Patki said the management has agreed to meet with union leaders and the Labour Commissioner on Thursday to negotiate on wage demands. A spokesperson for the Reliance Industries denied there was strike and said work at the factory is continuing as usual. However, RIL management is speaking with the union to address their concerns, he said.