Coal workers threaten 5-day strike from Jan 6

Employee unions of state-owned CIL and SCCL today threatened to go on a five-day strike beginning January 6 to press for demands including roll-back of the "process of denationalisation of coal sector" and stopping "disinvestment and restructuring" of Coal India.

The coal workers Coal India Singareni Collieries Company (SCCL) will observe five days all India strike with effect from January 6," four central trade unions --BMS, INTUC, HMS and AITUC--said in a joint statement.

The strike call comes at a time when the country is grappling with coal shortages and as many as 43 thermal power plants are facing significant fuel deficit.

The charter of demands include stopping or withdrawing "process of denationalisation of coal sector" and stopping "disinvestment, restructuring of CIL" (Coal India) among others.

The demands also includes extending National Coal Wage Agreement (NCWA) wages and other benefits to existing and prospective captive coal workers and lifting the ban on general recruitment.

Regularising contract workers engaged in mining jobs in underground as well as open cast mines is another demand.

The representatives of four CTUs met at Ranchi today and after discussions resolved to go on strike, it said.

Earlier, the proposed strike on November 24 by CIL employee unions was deferred after a meeting between Coal Ministry officials and trade unions.

Four trade unions were demanding scrapping of the enabling clause from the Coal Mines Ordinance-2014, which allows commercial mining by private firms and divestment of at least 10 per cent stake in Coal India Ltd (CIL), among others.

As per latest data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), 43 thermal power plants had coal available for less than seven days as on December 15.