MCL privatisation move hits TU roadblock

It is the first running open cast mine of MCL going for privatisation of OB removal work reserved for departmental workers. Earlier a similar attempt to privatise the OB work at Laxmanpur open cast mine at IB valley coalfield was aborted due to large scale protests.

In MCL mines over burden (top soil) removal work is done by departmental workers while the coal production and transportation are carried out contractually.

Irate workers of Talcher coalfield held demonstrations and staged dharna urging the MCL management to cancel the contract already awarded to a party which has been engaged in coal production work and is accused of gross violation of safety and labour rules in the mine.

In an emergent meeting today at Talcher, local trade union leaders representing all the six open cast coal mines vowed to intensify their opposition to the outsourcing move. They also decided to stop the mines if necessary.

They pointed out that the MCL management was going for privatisation of the mining work one by one which ran counter to the policy of the UPA government.

During his visit to Talcher coalfield earlier, the All India General Secretary of Bharataiya Majdoor Sangh, Surendra Pandey had strongly opposed the move. He said, "We in India oppose any sort of outsourcing as it harms and exploit the workers". There is no justification for MCL to go for privatisation of OB work, he commented. 

The President of Orissa Coal Majdoor Sangh (OCMS), affiliated to Indian Trade Union Congress, and ex-MP, Sriballav Panigrahi, has also expressed the same view saying that it would squeeze employment opportunities for the local land oustees.

The move was also decried by the General Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Anit Chakravarty, while speaking at May Day function at Talcher.

Not withstanding stiff opposition from all around, the private company was awarded the contract by MCL one month ago and is awaiting the handover of the site to work. It is a two year contract to remove 2.36 million cubic meter of OB, MCL official sources informed.

MCL sources said,  the job work was given for a temporary period till the company procures machineries for the work which will take time.