Left parties, unions oppose decision to auction coal blocks to

Left parties and trade unions today opposed Government's decision to go in for e-auction of coal blocks for private parties and demanded its reversal while deciding to launch nationwide protests against "anti-people" policies next month.
Expressing concern over the "spree of so-called reform measures" by the government, CPI said soon after the assembly poll results, Narendra Modi government announced "measures like decontrol of diesel prices, e-auction of coal blocks that may ultimately lead to total denationalisation of coalfields, intention to introduce bills for pursuance of policies of neo -liberalism that is ruining the economy."
It said BJP's ascendancy to power in Maharashtra and Haryana "portends the danger of more speedy imposition of economic and political policies that are not in the interest of the people and the country," the party's Central Secretariat said in a statement, adding Modi, "himself has announced anti-worker labour reforms."

The CPI(M) and the CPI said they fully supported the protest actions by the central trade unions and national federations of employees against the "anti-worker" issues including proposals to amend labour laws.
Trade unions, claiming to represent around four lakh coal workers, also opposed e-auction and the enabling provision in the proposed Ordinance to allow commercial mining by private players, and warned of a nationwide strike.
All India Coal Workers Federation General Secretary Jibon Roy warned of a nationwide strike if the government implemented any enabling provision to allow commercial mining by private companies.

"To protest against the enabling provision and proposed e-auction, the workers would stage nationwide dharna on November 5 to 7," he said, demanding that the coal blocks be handed over to the state-run Coal India Limited (CIL).

AITUC General Secretary and CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said the government decision on coal blocks "has a covert implications. It is a backdoor entry for taking over the entire coal sector by the private corporates".
Demanding reversal of the government's decision, he said allowing coal, a vital national resource, to be handed over to the corporates would lead to "serious industrial disturbances" and jeopardise national interest and weaken the CIL.
Terming the government's move as "unwelcome", the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) said such enabling provision would "open the door for denationalisation of coal sector."
In a statement, CITU condemned any move to nullify the Coal Nationalisation Act and asked the government to reconsider it, also demanding that all coal blocks be vested with the CIL.