People's Democracy

Coal Workers Strike Deferred

ACCORDING to a statement issued from New Delhi on August 6 by Jibon Roy, general secretary of the All India Coal Workers Federation, the 72-hour strike in the coal industry, scheduled to take place from August 8 to 10, 2011, has been deferred.

In view of a major breakthrough on a number of issues concerning policies about the functioning of the coal industry, the coal workers’ wage and other benefits, the strike has been deferred after a meeting of the coal unions with the secretary, coal, held on August 5.

It is to be noted that the strike was announced by five all-India coal federations affiliated to the CITU, INTUC, BMS, HMS and AITUC.

The following has been decided in the meeting:

1) The secretary, coal has assured that the Coal India adheres to the commitment given by finance minister in April 2010 to the coal trade unions that disinvestment in Coal India will not exceed the 10 per cent, which had already been carried out.

2) On the question of allotment of coal blocks, the coal secretary assured that the blocks, which had not been made operational, will be taken back. The secretary further assured that the ministry would work out a mechanism so that the trade unions can participate on policy issues and also on the matter of CSR like area development schemes which coal companies pioneered.

3) As the JBCCI for National Coal Wage Agreement (NCWA)-IX had already been constituted on August 1, 2011, it was resolved to hold its first meeting on August 20-21 in New Delhi. All possible steps will be taken so that a settlement is reached within three months.

4) It was agreed that all attempts will be made to resolve the issues concerned with wages and other benefits for the contract workers in the high-powered committee constituted for the purpose at the earliest. However, the issue will find it opening to the JBCCI.

5) Similarly, it is agreed that the leftover issues of the NCWA-VIII will be settled within a time frame.

6) The coal secretary promised that all attempts would be made to raise the rate of CMPF interest to the EPF level. However, he mentioned that these decisions will be subjected to fund permissibility. Similarly, the matter of raising the pension will be settled mutually.

7) It was also agreed that the coal companies would work out schemes for allotment of surplus land and quarters available with them.

In view of the above, the five all-India coal federations agreed to defer the strike. Accordingly, the minutes detailing the terms of the settlement were signed by the parties present in the meeting.

The meeting was attended by the chairman and the director (personnel) of Coal India, besides the secretary and special secretary concerned with the ministry of coal, government of India. Leaders who represented various coal federations were Jibon Roy (CITU), Rajender Prasad Singh, S Q Zama (INTUC), Ramendra Kumar (AITUC), Nathulal Pandey (HMS) and Surendra Pandey (BMS).

Through its statement, the All India Coal Workers Federation has complimented the coal workers for the response they have shown on the united strike call. It was this response that brought all the national federations on to a common platform, forcing the government of India and the Coal India to agree on the terms of settlement. The AICWF has hoped that this settlement would stand as a landmark in the history of Indian trade union movement not only because its terms amount to a substantial breakthrough on wages and major issues but also because it created a strong platform of trade union unity on class issues. The AICWF has urged upon all the coal

workers to protect this unity and further advance it quantitatively as well as qualitatively.