MC Thakur

MANALI, APRIL 2

The strike by workers of the Rohtang Tunnel project has entered the sixth day on Monday as the talks between the worker union and the management failed.While the workers have threatened not to resume work until their demands are met, supply trucks have queued up at Solang, waiting for unloading of material for the past six days.Lalit Kumar, a truck driver, said he had parked the truck at Solang since March 28. The material was to be taken to the tunnel site at Dhundi where strike was going on. Another driver Bhim Singh said he had delivered goods to the tunnel project site. “This time, we are waiting for the strike to call off so that we could deliver goods and go back,” he said.The strike has stalled the work at both portals of the tunnel. The worker union has 15 demands, including implementation of labour laws, better transport, medical, lodging and sitting facilities and reappointment of the workers who had been sacked by the management.Dharmender Singh, president of the Bhartiya Majdoor Sangh, Rohtang Tunnel project, alleged that the project management was not accepting their complaint letters and the meeting failed as the security personnel stopped them while they were going to meet the officials.“We were executive members of the union. But the security personnel said only five persons could meet the officials. Earlier too, all members of the executive body had met the management to discuss issues but this time, we were stopped,” he said.He added that if project management could not have talks with the team, the strike would continue.