KOLKATA | May 10, 2017:

Five central trade unions in the coal sector are planning to go on a three-day strike beginning June 19, demanding among other things, withdrawal of the proposed merger of the Coal Mines Provident Fund with the Employees Provident Fund.

On May 9, a notice for the planned strike was signed by office-bearers of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the Indian National Trade Union Congress, the Hind Mazdoor sabha, the All India Trade Union Congress and the Centre for Indian Trade Unions. The action may impact operations at Coal India’s mining subsidiaries and that of Hyderabad-based Singareni Coal Company.

An INTUC statement said about five lakh coal workers was expected to participate in the strike

The last strike of such a scale took place in January 2015. The five-day strike against divestment was withdrawn after two days following the setting up of a committee to look into the matter.

“Nothing moved in the workers’ favour thereafter,” Ramendra Kumar, general secretary of the AITUC- affiliated Indian Mine Workers Federation told The Hindu. He also said that the unions were also demanding a reversal of the decision on mine closures.

The seven-point charter of demands includes continuation of the Coal Mines Provident Fund in its present form, full implementation of an earlier National Coal Wage Agreement and the early settlement of tenth wage negotiations for coal miners.

The National Coal Wage Agreement governs the wage payments in the PSU coal sector and the last five-year pact expired in July 2016. The unions are upset that although talks are being held, there is little progress.

The charter of demands also includes one on stoppage of contract labour in work of perennial nature or the implementation of an equal pay for equal work policy for them and restoration of double wages payment for overtime work.

(Source: http://www.thehindu.com/)