New Delhi: Opposing the Narendra Modi government’s decision to open up the coal sector to private players, RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and other trade unions working in Coal India Limited have decided to go on a three-day nationwide strike starting Thursday.
The unions had given a strike call Monday, but Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi had appealed to them not to do so the next day. However, a virtual meeting Wednesday, between the unions, minister Joshi and Anil Kumar Jain, the coal secretary, did not bear fruit, leading to the decision to go on strike, according to B.K. Rai, public sector in-charge of the BMS.
Rai told ThePrint that apart from the BMS, other unions including All India Trade Union Congress, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, CPI(M)-affiliated Centre of Indian Trade Unions, and Congress-affiliated Indian National Trade Union Congress will also be on strike — meaning around 2.72 lakh workers will observe it.
“A meeting was held and we told the minister that allowing commercial mining is a stepping stone to bringing other major changes in the public sector. Not only will this make changes to the ownership but it will also impact worker service conditions, and is not acceptable to us,” Rai said.
“At a time when the entire country is reeling under the coronavirus pandemic, the government should not be bringing about such changes,” he said.
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Govt should ‘mend its ways’
Rai quoted minister Joshi as telling the union leaders who attended Wednesday’s virtual meeting that commercial coal mining was important as Coal India alone would not be able to meet the country’s demand.
However, the BMS functionary added that the strike should be seen as a warning by the Modi government to mend its ways.
“This strike is to remind them that they still have time to change their decision, otherwise we will close down coal mining completely. This will impact the entire power industry and electricity generation,” he said.
BMS national president C.K. Saji Narayanan added that the government must “stop all steps towards weakening or privatisation of Coal India Limited or Singareni Collieries Company limited (SCCL, another government-run coal mining company)”.
Narayanan added that the government also must “withdraw (its) decision to de-link the Central Mines Planning and Design Institute Limited from CIL” and “enforce CIL enhanced wages to contract workers in CIL and SCCL”.
Also read: All about commercial mining and how it changes the coal production game in India
“This strike is to remind them that they still have time to change their decision, otherwise we will close down coal mining completely. This will impact the entire power industry and electricity generation,” he said. Why is this man not booked? He knows that if Coal India Ltd shuts down we are doomed. All the more reason why the monopoly must end. I am tired of quack socialists who think govt monopolies give us growth. The govt should go ahead.