A historic settlement under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 took place between Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL), Malanjkhand and their recognized union Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh at Jabalpur on July 5 under the guidance of Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) Jabalpur Sunil Kumar with the direct efforts and intervention of Regional Labour Commissioner (Central) Jabalpur, Rakesh Gaur, due to which hundreds of contract labor working there and their families rejoiced.

Under the settlement, HCL Malanjkhand management accepted the union’s long pending demands for payment of better wages based on skill classification of contract labor working there and payment of higher wages to contract labor working in underground mines. The management shall constitute a competent committee for skill classification which will implement its recommendations after the consent of the recognized union subject to the approval of the higher management.

Approximately 477 contract labor will get an additional benefit of about 1.44 crores in the year 2022-23 itself as per the settlement. The management also signed another tripartite settlement to upgrade the post of Peon Grade-I to Junior Clerk/Typist-1which will benefit many direct employees. On this occasion, officers of the Central Labor Office, Assistant Labor Commissioner (Central) Abhinav Tiwari, Labor Enforcement Officer Kamlesh Shelar and Chandan Lakshkar, Mrs. Lata Ajay lent their support to Sunil Kumar and Rakesh Gaur.

President of the Indian Mineral Mazdoor Sangh, G N Rajawat , who led this struggle with wisdom and patience and his comrades other office bearers Dutt Raj Patie, Hemant Bhagat, Mohar Lal Tembare, Lakhan Lal Banjara, G K Thackeray and Basant Meravi were also present.

Sanjay Shivdarshi AGM (Admin), K Babaji and Pramod Kumar were present on behalf of the management. On this occasion, Deputy Chief Labor Commissioner (Central) Jabalpur Sunil Kumar appreciated the HCL Malanjkhand management for taking this historic initiative in the interest of contract labor and for ensuring timely payment of due wages and provision of other statutory facilities to these labour.

Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL), a Public Sector Undertaking under the administrative control of the Ministry of Mines, Government of India, was incorporated on November 9, 1967. It has the distinction of being the only vertically integrated copper producer in the country as it manufactures copper from the mining to smelting, refining and refining copper metal for the production of final saleable products. HCL’s mines and plants are spread over five operational units, one each in each state of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Gujarat.