The strike would impact industrial growth across India especially in power deficient northern and southern regions

Coal India strike: ASSOCHAM reaction

The joint call of strike by five trade unions at Coal India mines would bring the entire economy to a grinding halt as the country would lose production of over one million tones (MT) of coal worth about Rs 200 crore per day, apex industry body ASSOCHAM said.

The strike would impact industrial growth across India especially in power deficient northern and southern regions, resulting in long unplanned outages, said Mr D.S. Rawat, national secretary general of The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

Additionally, there would be a tariff impact if a higher proportion of expensive imported coal were to be used in thermal plants, said Mr Rawat.

The strike would impact all Industries based on coal including the cement industries that are already reeling under pressure of raw material prices, he added.

At present, around 100 MT capacity is lying idle which translates to about Rs 60,000 crore and with no fuel availability the pressure would only burgeon, further said the ASSOCHAM's national secretary general.

ASSOCHAM has extended an appeal to the Government and the workers' unions to urgently settle the confronting issues amicably as the strike would only result in further dwindling of fuel supply at a time when several plants are facing severe shortages and this might lead to sudden stoppage of plants which are under operation.

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