A vehicle damaged by the protesters

Bhubaneswar, June 5: Five persons were injured when violence erupted during a demonstration by contractual workers at the Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited (Omfed) plant in Chandasekharpur today.

Around 300 contractual workers, who were sitting on a dharna at the plant, clashed with other workers and went on a rampage damaging property worth more than Rs 3 lakh.

Work at the plant was seriously hampered for nearly five hours. It resumed only after the Omfed authorities assured the agitators that their demands would be looked into.

The violence began when the agitating contractual labourers tried to stop a goods carrier that was heading towards them. When the driver refused to listen to them, the agitators thrashed him and damaged his vehicle. Soon, other workers of the plant rushed to the rescue of the driver and a fight ensued.

Contractual labourers protest at the Omfed plant in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

“When we stopped him, he and some others attacked us,” said Sushant Nahak, an injured contractual labourer, who has been working at the plant for more than nine years. Angry protesters then ransacked the plant office damaging computers, ceiling fans, glass partitions and furniture.

Chandrasekharpur police rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the protesters. These labourers said that though they had been working for several years, the authorities had not hiked their wages. “We are paid a meagre Rs 79 a day, which is not enough. We want it raised to at least Rs 150,” said a protester.

However, Omfed officials said the workers were being paid Rs 90, the rate the government had fixed for unskilled labourers. “They have been hired through a contractor, who pays them. Besides, we also give them an incentive of Rs 10 per day. They are also entitled to provident fund, employees’ state insurance other benefits,” said Subash Tripathy, the public relations officer of Omfed.

This afternoon, labour union leaders held talks with the Omfed authorities who assured them they would take steps to review their wages. After getting this assurance from the authorities, the agitators resumed work.

“We will work extra time to make up for the hours lost today. We will also take stock of the losses,” said a plant official.