Tata Steel NS Grade employees protest bonus deal, walkout of committee meeting

Jamshedpur, Aug 28: After the annual bonus agreement was signed between Tata Steel management and Tata Workers’ Union, Union President Sanjeev Choudhary Tunnu convened a committee meeting at the union hall on Thursday to brief members about the settlement.

The meeting, however, saw dramatic scenes as NS grade committee members staged a walkout, demanding higher bonuses for their category. They argued that since their basic pay and dearness allowance (DA) are comparatively lower, there should have been an additional provision in their favour. The protestors were led by union vice president Sanjeev Tiwari and assistant secretary Shyam Babu, both belonging to the NS grade.

Interestingly, both Tiwari and Babu had signed the agreement with the management without raising objections and also accepted the customary gift coupon. But once inside the union hall, they sided with the agitated NS grade members and walked out of the meeting. This led to chaos for some time inside the premises.

The committee members argued that NS grade employees had submitted a demand letter seeking an additional package of Rs 5 crore exclusively for their category. They alleged this was ignored during negotiations. “The additional amount should have gone to NS grade employees alone,” some members said.

However, Union President and General Secretary Satish Singh defended the agreement. They explained that instead of Rs 5 crore, the management accepted a larger demand, approving Rs 30.3 crore over and above the formula-based calculation. “This extra amount has been distributed equally among all employees. Everyone has benefited, so what is the problem?” Choudhary asked.

Union leaders also cautioned that agreeing to a separate package for one category could set a risky precedent and harm workers in the long run. “We have always worked to secure better allowances for NS grade employees, but a separate bonus package was not possible,” Singh added.

Amid the uproar, union vice president Shahnawaz Alam intervened. He met the protesting members separately in his chamber and explained the details of the settlement. Alam clarified how the negotiated bonus of Rs 303.13 crore would benefit employees in the long term. He urged members to view the agreement in a broader perspective, stressing that it was achieved after detailed discussions with the management.

Following Alam’s clarification, the agitating committee members eventually calmed down and returned to the meeting. Deputy President Shailesh Singh, who is undergoing treatment at Hospital, also joined the deliberations via video call. He assured members that he had been part of the negotiations virtually and fully supported the agreement.

With this intervention, the tension subsided and the meeting concluded peacefully.