People's Democracy

ON September 5, thousands of workers staged one of the biggest ever demonstrations in front of the Darbhanga House in Ranchi, that houses the headquarters of the Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), a central government undertaking. The demonstrators, including women and a large number of young men, came from four districts of Jharkhand --- Ranchi, Bokaro, Hazaribagh and Chatra --- and represented ten out of the company’s total 13 operational areas in Jharkhand. The workers staged their demonstration from forenoon till evening, picketing in front of the head office.

The demonstration was organised by the main trade union of the workers in CCL --- the National Coal Organisation Employees Association (NCOEA), a major affiliate of the CITU in coal industry. The action was meant to press for an 11-point charter of demands. These included, among others, the demand to halt privatisation, immediate payment of arrears from the last wage agreement, regularisation of young workers who were appointed on stipend, against the removal of female workers by VRS, and restoration of LTC/LLTC.

The demonstration was the culmination of a series of actions launched by 1378 stipend workers under the banner of the NCOEA (CITU), demanding regularisation of their jobs. It may be recalled that the CITU union opposed the removal of women workers through VRS while other unions entered an agreement with the Coal India management on the plea that the male dependents of the removed women workers would be given employment. But then these young men were appointed only as trainees, on stipend basis, and that status of theirs continued for more than three years.

In face of the militant agitation, the CCL management issued orders for regularisation of these young men as permanent employees. When the government and public sector are downsizing their workforce as per the new economic policy, the militant CCL workers have, under the banner of the CITU, succeeded in reversing the policy at least for these young men. This is indeed a major achievement of these workers.

The leaders who addressed the gate meeting on this occasion included Mihir Choudhury, general secretary of the Jharkhand state committee of CITU and general secretary of the union, union president D D Ramanadan and other leaders. (INN)