Singareni strike from today

Singareni strike from today
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Highlights

In response to the strike call given by the five national trade unions, over 55,000 coal miners of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) will be on strike from Thursday in all the 11 coal mining areas of the SCCL.  The trade unions decided to go on the stir as the talks held on Tuesday with the management, in the presence of the Deputy Labour Commissioner on jobs to dependents, failed. 

Kothagudem: In response to the strike call given by the five national trade unions, over 55,000 coal miners of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) will be on strike from Thursday in all the 11 coal mining areas of the SCCL. The trade unions decided to go on the stir as the talks held on Tuesday with the management, in the presence of the Deputy Labour Commissioner on jobs to dependents, failed.

Trade unions, backed by the revolutionary parties, have thrown their weight behind the national trade unions. Two groups of the Indian Federation of Trade Unions, Singareni Varasatva Udyogala Sadhana Committee and Telangana Praja Front are in favour of the strike.

However, Singareni-recognised trade union Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham is not a party to the strike. Trade unions AITUC, INTUC, CITU, BMS and HMS served notice on March 31 to strike work seeking jobs to workers’ dependents. The loss of production in the Collieries would be around 40 per cent of the 1.70 lakh tonnes a day as the management is keen to get the production done with the help of the recognised-trade union.

The national trade unions describe SCCL management seeking one month time to seek attorney-general’s advice as a ploy though the advice could be got in a week. The strike will affect coal mining in Kothagudem, Illandu, Manuguru, Ramagundam-1, 2 & 3, Bhupalapalli, Sriramapur, Mandamarri, Bellampalli and the activities of the corporate office, Kothagudem.

Three-day strike in Coal India
The production of coal in the SCCL would be affected fully on June 19, 20 and 21 as all trade unions decided to observe strike in Coal India Limited to protest against the merger of the Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation (CMPF) with that of the Employees Provident Fund. Coal production of 1.20-1.40 lakh tonnes would be affected per day during the three days. Coal production in three areas of Khammam and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts would be affected fully.

CMD’s call to workers
Meanwhile, SCCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director N Sridhar appealed to the coal miners not to strike work as the SCCL is still consulting the legal experts on dependent jobs, recruitment of which was announced by the State government. It was unfortunate that the five trade unions called for observing strike even as the consultations are under way. He stated that the SCCL management and the State government were sincere on jobs to dependents. SCCL Finance Director J Pavitran Kumar appealed to coal miners to stop observing strike and resume work as talks were only deferred but not failed.

Claims support of 47,000 workers
Leader of the recognised trade union president B Venkat Rao described the strike by the five national trade unions as an exercise to make their presence felt. He claimed the support of 47,000 workers, out of 58,000, to the recognised trade union. Predicting the strike would fall flat, he asked why the national trade unions kept mum on the dependent jobs issue for 18 years. He sought to know the rationale behind giving a call to observe strike now. Terming them as insincere, he claimed that the recognised trade union would always side with the coal miners.

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