Coal India officers to protest over pay, parity & promotion today

The CMOAI is spearheading the agitation and has threatened Coal India of strikes and other industrial unrest if a speedy resolution to their key demands is not reso

Around 19,000 officers in Coal India are up in protest demanding rationalisation of wages between the company’s executive and non-executive staff, remunerations at par with other public sector enterprises and pending promotions, besides other key issues including the company’s vigilance mechanism. A demonstration will be held in Coal India’s headquarters in Kolkata on September 26.

The Coal Mines Officers’ Association of India (CMOAI), a body comprising of executives from state-run coal companies, of which, Coal India executives are a member, is spearheading the agitation and has threatened Coal India of strikes and other industrial unrest if a speedy resolution to their key demands is not resolved.

According to V.P. Singh, president of CMOAI, after the pay revision of executive and non-executive staff in this company, an experienced mine supervisor earns around Rs. 53,000 a month while the basic salary (without perks, allowances and other benefits) for an entry-level officer starts at Rs. 40,000. 

Singh has alleged that this is a violation of the ministerial and Department of Public Enterprise (DPE) guidelines which mandate that the top ceiling salary for non-executives should be less than the entry-level salary of executives.

“There is a directive from the ministry also that it cannot happen but the pay revisions have resulted in this anomaly”, he alleged.

Other ranking officials in CMOAI suggest that since the pay revision of executives has already been concluded early this year, Coal India can pay additional increments to the executive staff to adhere to the abovestated guideline.

On the other hand, Udayendu Das, joint secretary general of CMOAI opined that as compared to the entry-level basic salary of Coal India, other public sector undertakings (PSU) offer a higher salary – Rs. 50,000-60,000 a month.

“This is despite the fact that we are one of the most profitable PSUs and have been regularly providing the government with good dividends”, Das said.

These apart, CMOAI is also pressing Coal India to plead to the Supreme Court for a speedy resolution of pending case related to the promotion. Singh said that 60 officers had opted the legal route related to grade upgradation and the country’s apex court had stayed promotion for around 3,000 executives. Coal India is a party to this case.

“This case has been pending for years now and thus promotions are stuck. Coal India can plead to fasten the legal process but it didn’t”, Singh added.

Besides, the association has demanded that promotions in the company should not be withheld on grounds of vigilance investigation without the issuance of charge sheet and such charge sheets cannot be served on the officers on the retirement date.

“If any case is contemplated against any executives, charge sheet may be issued and enquiry be completed with the delivery of the order; either punishment or exoneration, before one month of the superannuation of the executive concerned”, the charter of demands read.

The CMOAI also alleged that coal stocks, which are kept unfenced and unsecured create legal complications and arrest of the executives. 

“In order to avoid above situation, a decision should be taken that as much coal will be produced which can be dispatched so that there is no accumulation of coal stock”, the charter stated.

This Maharatna company’s executives, spread across its eight subsidiaries, have been wearing black badges from September 10 to mark their protest.