Trade unions’ strike hits coal production
Coal production at many mines in Ramagundam region dropped by 50%
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-01-07 08:58 GMT
Karimnagar: Except the Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS), affiliated to the ruling party, TRS, and the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), all district units of various national trade unions launched a strike opposing the Union government’s move to hand over 214 coal blocks to private firms through e-auction in Ramagundam on Tuesday.
Following the strike, coal production at many mines in Ramagundam region dropped by 50 per cent. Leaders of these trade unions were arrested for staging dharnas and taking out rallies as part of the strike. However, they were released in the evening.
Employees, who are members of either the All India Trade Union Congress (Aituc), Indian National Trade Union Congress (Intuc), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (Citu) and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) boycotted their duties. However, members of the TBGKS, the recognized and affiliate trade union of the TRS and HMS refrained from the strike.
Aituc state committee member Y. Ghattaiah said they launched the strike against the anti-labour policies and decisions of the Union government with regard to the coal sector. He faulted the Union government for withdrawing its stake in the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). About 80 per cen tof the employees have not attended duties, “The apex court has clearly directed the Union government to allocate the 214 blocks either to Coal India or Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) but the Centre is trying to allocate them to private firms through e-auction mode. This is a blatant violation of the apex court’s directives,” he said, adding that if the blocks were given to the PSUs, public can get some employment opportunities.
Intuc general secretary S. Narasimha Reddy accused the Union government of infringing on the rights of the labourers. “Employees will not get different types of benefits if the blocks were given to private agencies.”
They will not get the salaries they deserve. At times, they can be terminated from services without any strong reason,” said a worried Mr Reddy. The leaders condemned the TRS-led government using police force to suppress their strike. The employees said they would continue the strike on Wednesday too and that they would mobilise other employees also to join the strike.
Meanwhile, the strike in the Singareni was partial on the first-day as the recognized Trade Union TBGKS was away from the strike in the district on Tuesday. Five national unions including AITUC, CITU, INTUC were gave call for strike in the Singanreni demanding the Central government to allocate 214 coal blocks to Coal India or Singareni instead to the private companies.
The allocation of coal blocks to the private companies was suspended following the Supreme Court instructions.
The coal production was not affected in the mines in Mandamarri and Srirampur divisions as workers attended duties as usual while coal production affected in some mines as workers of other national union were on strike boycotting the duties. Police arrested the leaders of AITUC and CITU at mines as preventive measures during the strike. The national unions were demanding for hike in pension to 45 percent from existing 25 percent and recruiting dependent jobs.
TBGKS general secretary Miryala Rajireddy said the strike was not related to Singareni and that is why they were not participating in the strike and added that coal production is must to supply to the factories to produce power as there was power shortage in the state. He said the management of the SCCL will certainly look into the demands of the workers if they are genuine but the present strike was not related to the workers demand.