GOVT FORCED TO RETREAT

Coal Unions Halt Mad Drive Towards Privatisation

M  K  Pandhe

THE remarkable unity achieved by five an a half lakh coal mine workers under the leadership of five federations led by CITU, INTUC, AITUC, HMS and BMS generated a favourable atmosphere for a six day nationwide strike from February 23 to 29, 2004. The federations in a communication to the secretary, ministry of coal and mines, conveyed their decision that if the government does not settle the dispute by January 24, they will serve a strike notice on January 28 and there would be no room for talks after the strike notice is served.

The united movement of coal workers organised a powerful campaign all over India. A massive rally organised jointly by the five federations in front of Coal India headquarters in Kolkata on December 17 reflected the growing militancy of the coal miners in all the coal companies to resist privatisation and contractorisation.

In the face of rising tempo of joint preparation for six-day-strike in the entire coal industry across the country, and massive joint mobilisation of coal workers at the colliery level all over the country, the Vajpayee government had to come forward for negotiation with the unions and had to make a retreat, may be for the time being, on almost all the issues on which they were displaying arrogance earlier. 

DEMANDS & ASSURANCES

The eleven point charter of demands submitted by the federations include the demand to scrap the Coal Mines Nationalization (Amendment) Bill 2000 which seeks to privatise the coal industry, to stop the outsourcing of coal production to private contractors, restoration of custom duty on imported coal to the 1991 level, to restructure the Coal India Ltd  along with the coal companies/units as a single holding company, to restore budgetary support to the coal industry for further investment in coal mines, to ensure proper safety measures in coal mines, to prepare joint package for revival of sick coal companies like ECL, BCCL. NCL and Dankuni Coal Complex and  to stop privatisation of CMPDIL.

The delay in constitution of the JBCCI(VII) despite lapse of two and a half years after the commencement of the period of the current wage agreement caused acute discontent among the coal miners. The five federations therefore demanded immediate payment of interim relief of 25 per cent of the basic wages to the workers.

The first meeting of the JBCCI was convened by the management on January 12, 2004. However, the private sector management of TISCO, ICML, Bengal EMTA and Jindal and the public sector management of IISCO declined to join the JBCCI and implement its decision due to “financial constraints”. These companies want to compete with Coal India by paying workers less wages and provide substandard service conditions. The trade union representatives therefore demanded that the union labour ministry should issue notification making one industrial wage for the entire coal industry to be decided by the JBCCI.

In the afternoon of January 12, 2004, Mamata Banerjee who, after anxiously waiting for four months, got the coal and mines ministry, called a meeting of trade union representatives to discuss the eleven point charter of demands raised  by the five federations. In the meeting the secretary, department of coal as well as senior officials of Coal India management were present. The trade union representatives criticised the policy of the NDA government to privatise the coal mines and also for its non-implementation of the promises given to the trade unions.

The union coal minister agreed to the demand of not bringing the Bill to privatise the coal mines without arriving at a consensus with the trade unions. While criticising the policy of outsourcing, she agreed to examine all aspects of outsourcing in detail and the trade union leaders were asked to give their observations on the subject to the government.

On the question of reduction in customs duty on imported coal by the finance minister, she agreed to take up the matter with the minister to ensure trade barriers are put in place to protect the coal industry.

The coal and mines minister further agreed to give 15 per cent of basic wages as interim relief to all the coal workers from January 1, 2004 pending finalisation of new coal wage agreement. She also agreed not to close down any mine or retrench coal workers and agreed to work out joint revival package for ECL, BCCL, NCL and Dankuni Coal Complex. She also agreed not to privatise the CMPDIL.

The minister agreed to take up the question of inclusion of private sector coal companies and IISCO so that there would be uniform wages for the entire coal industry.

Regarding the question of non-implementation of several clauses of wage agreement she agreed to discuss with the trade unions before January 24 and ensure their full implementation. She promised to consider the question of expansion of coal industry, its modernisation and development of new mines with the trade unions.

ADVANCE

The minister further assured that expeditious steps would be taken to ensure safety in coal mines, check illegal mining and take steps to prevent subsidence of mining area and coal fires.

As she herself noted, she accepted more than 90 per cent of the demands of the coal workers and she appealed for withdrawal of the strike notice. An agreement was also drafted.

M K Pandhe, president of CITU while welcoming the assurances wanted the minister to ensure that the commitments are fully implemented in view of the fact that some of the policy measures have been decided by the NDA cabinet itself.

The CITU proposed that the proposals should be placed before JBCCI, and after ratification, the agreement should be signed. All central trade unions except the CITU signed the draft along with secretary, ministry of coal and mines and chairman CIL. The CITU representatives signed the draft only after it was ratified by JBCCI in the evening.

The trade union movement while noting the advance made in the agreement should continue their movement to ensure implementation of the agreement.

A meeting of the All India Coal Workers Federation held on January 13 at Kolkata decided to campaign for implementation of the clauses of the agreement. This is extremely important since most of the commitments given on August 1, 2001 remained unimplemented so far.

The AICWF decided to campaign for the countrywide general strike on February 24, called jointly by the central trade unions to oppose the Supreme Court judgment banning the right to strike and also against the economic policies of the central government. It decided to observe January 24 as  an all India day to popularise the strike action of February 24.

M K Pandhe, president of AICWF, called upon all the coal workers to strengthen the unity achieved in the struggle and take the movement forward to ensure implementation of the assurances given by the union minister of coal and mines.

Chittabrata Majumdar, general secretary of CITU, congratulated the CITU unions in coal industry for the success they achieved and appealed to strengthen the organisation.

Jibon Roy, vice president of AICWF, explained the meaning of the agreement and called upon the unions to remain vigilant till the agreement is fully implemented.