Left union calls off its Jan 13 Coal India strike

Left backed All India Coal Workers Federation (AICWF) said it has called off its strike on Jan 13 in state-run Coal India Ltd (CIL) citing "unprecedented unity among coal workers" in the five-day strike which began Tuesday.

"In the ongoing strike, we have seen unprecedented unity among coal workers across the nation on account of which we have called off the AICWF strike earlier proposed on Jan 13. This (ongoing) strike itself is highlighting the concerns based on which we had proposed the earlier strike," the union's general secretary Jibon Roy said.

Roy, a former CPI-M Rajya Sabha member had raised concerns regarding miners' working hours and their socio-economic conditions based on which the union had called for a separate strike Jan 13.

"Despite a drastic reduction in permanent staff from the workforce, the centre is pressing for denationalisation of CIL which will result in a practical slavery like situation," he said.

The union had demanded immediate regularisation of contract workers in CIL and Singarani Collieries Ltd.

AICWF will be meeting representatives of the central government alongwith other trade unions in New Delhi Tuesday to discuss the ongoing five-day strike.

Roy also expressed concerns that contractors in the coal sector will lead to an increase in the coal mafia as well as "political dissidents" like the Maoists.