Coal unions threaten strike from Jan 6

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 19

Employee unions of Coal India Ltd (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) today threatened to go on a five-day strike beginning January 6 to press for demands, including rollback of the "process of de-nationalisation of coal sector" and stopping "disinvestment and restructuring" of Coal India.

The strike call comes at a time when the country is grappling with coal shortage and at least 43 thermal plants are facing significant fuel deficit.

In a notice issued today, the unions have listed their demands which include the withdrawal of the Coal Ordinance.

Besides withdrawing of the Coal Mines (Special provision) Act, the other demands put up by the unions include, negotiating the process of implementation of Supreme Court Award on illegal allotment of coal blocks and stopping processing of all such moves which allow private commercial mining, replaces the regulating status of Coal India by individual entity and the position of Chairman by the Corporate Nominee or by someone from outside the Public Sector.

The unions have also demanded that disinvestments and the proposed restructuring of CIL, Coal Videsh venture should be stopped, production planning and its execution should come under institutional scrutiny of industrial relation system and five days and 35 hours duty week with creation of corresponding number of duty post, besides others.