Cil Unions Fail To Agree On Merger
The Coal India Officers Association (Cioa), the more recent organisation, has now decided to press for recognition by CIL so that it can become party to negotiations with the management and the Union government.
The only officers body recognised by the CIL now is the Coal Mining Officers Association of India (CMOAI), which claims to have the allegiance of the majority of the officers.
The total number of officers now working with CIL and seven of its subsidiary coal companies is 19,200. Under CIL norms, an organisation should have at least 40 per cent of the total executives as its members to be eligible for recognition.
CMOAI claims that it has the requisite support among the officers. Cioa dismisses this claim, saying that the registration of the older organisation has been cancelled. CIL is believed to have made no membership verification so far.
In the case of multiplicity of unions, the association with 25 per cent membership among the officers is generally given the status of the majority body. The association with a support base of at least 10 per cent among the officers gets the minority body status.
According to Cioa general-secretary A K Roy, the association has 5,972 of the total 19,200 CIL officers as its members. Since this constitutes 28 per cent of the total strength, Cioa can certainly stake claim to recognition.
16,000 officers get their membership fees deducted in favour of CMOAI.
Singh said the amalgamation is welcome, but it can be effected by the Cioa members joining CMOAI en masse. They were with us and they should join us in the greater interest of the officers community, he told Business Standard.
The meeting of CMOAI and Cioa in Ranchi on June 4 drew up minutes which recorded that both the ... associations agreed in principle for amalgamation. The modalities will be decided by CMOAI president S B Singh and Cioa general-secretary A K Roy within 30 days.
It was decided that the members of Cioa will hereafter be included in the existing negotiating committee to deal with the CIL management and the government of India, if required. ... this decision will be communicated to the CIL management jointly by S B Singh and A K Roy at the earliest.
However, negotiations between the two associations were stalled since CMOAI insisted that the name of the organisation be retained as CMOAI. This was not acceptable to Cioa.
The norms for recognition were taken up once again by the top officers of CIL and its subsidiaries on October 7. The meeting stuck to the earlier decision of allowing check-off facility to the organisation having at least 40 per cent following among the officers.
Cioa has decided to contest this position in a court of law.