The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) today said it will not join the proposed strike by Coal India employee unions on Monday, bringing the split among the unions to the fore over the issue.
Coal India's four unions -- INTUC, HMS, CITU and AITUC-- have served a notice for one-day token strike on November 24, demanding scraping of the enabling clause in the Coal Mines Ordinance-2014, which allows commercial mining by private companies, and divestment of at least 10 per cent stake in public sector miner.
"No, BMS is not going for strike as we are of view that strike is not the right process to get demands met," Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) President Baij Nath Rai said.
Coal India had earlier said that the impact of the the proposed day-long strike will not be "alarming".
The Coal India management was banking on the possibility that BMS will boycott the strike and its supporters joining work.
Coal India sources said BMS has influence in South Eastern Coalfields, Western Coalfields and partially in the Central Coalfields.
Coal India, which employs over 3 lakh people and accounts for 80 per cent of domestic coal production, had experienced labour troubles on several occasions, hindering its productivity.
The company was unable to meet its production target in the last few years.
