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From India News Network (INN) CITU Congratulates the Six Lakhs Coal Workers for the Magnificent Strike New Delhi, December 3: The CITU congratulates the six lakhs coalmines workers for responding magnificently to the three-day strike started today morning and to continue up to 5.12.2001 jointly called by AITUC, BMS, CITU and HMS. It is very important to note that although the INTUC central leadership did not formally joint the strike call, the workers affiliated to INTUC at many collieries of the country have also been participating in the strike. It may be recalled that the joint meeting of the representatives of all the five national federations of coalmines workers affiliated to the central trade unions held at Nagpur on 30.11.2001 has given the strike call. Among the 16 points Charter of Demands, the most important issues include (1) Withdraw Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill 2000 (2) Reorganize the Coal Industry to make a unified single company with full autonomy (3) Restore custom duty on imported coal to the level of 1989-90 and stop import of coal to protect Indian coal mining industry (4) Revival of ECL, BCCL, and CCL (5) Immediate payment of arrears on account of the last wage revision agreement pending for years. Coal mining is undertaken in the country by the subsidiary public sector Coal Companies under the holding company, the Coal India Ltd (CIL). These subsidiary companies are Eastern Coalfields Ltd., (ECIL), Bharat Coking Coal Ltd., (BCCL), Central Coalfields Ltd., (CCL), Northern Coalfields Ltd., (NCL) Western Coalfields Ltd., (WCL), South Eastern Coalfields Ltd., (SECL), Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. (MCL), North Eastern Coalfields under the CCL and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd., Andhra Pradesh (SCCL). So far reports received from the striking unions in the different coal companies throughout the country the strike is total and resounding success. It may be noted that the CIL management and the union ministry of coal adopted foul means including falsehood to mislead the workers and break the unique unity of the coal workers but in vain. By making the strike a grand success the workers have given befitting reply to such shameful tactics of the authorities. Apart from the affiliated workers of the striking central trade unions, the workers belonging to the small local level trade unions have also joined in the strike. The company-wise gist of strike situation is as under: ECL, which covers the Ranigang coalfields in West Bengal and Mugma and Rajmahal coalfields in Jharkhand the strike, has been a complete success. BCCL the major coal producer in the country with its jurisdiction over the coalmines in Dhanbad district has witnessed near total strike. CCL with its headquarters at Ranchi covers the Bokaro, Ramgarh, Giridih, North and South Karanpura coalfields and the strike in these collieries is totally successful and work in the mines has been completely paralyzed. NCL, which covers the entire Singrauli coalfields situated in the states of MP, UP, and Chhatisgarh, almost the total workers have abstained from duty and the strike is a big success. WCL headquartered at Nagpur with its jurisdiction over all the coalfields in Maharashtra and the three coalfields of Kanhan, Pench and Patharkeeda in MP the strike is totally successful. Stray incidents of attack on striking workers by the leadership of INTUC have been received from the WCL. SECL covers the coalmines in Korba, Baikunthpur, Chirimiri, Hasdeo, and Sohagpur etc. the strike in these collieries has been successful. MCL with its jurisdiction over the coalfields of Talcher and IB valley in Orissa the response to the strike call has been reported satisfactory. SCCL which operates in the Singareni coalmines of Andhra Pradesh the workers have largely joined in the strike despite intimidation by the leadership of non-striking unions. NEC with its area of operations in the North Eastern states, despite the terror tactics adopted by the state administration at the specific instance of the Home Minister of Assam (the collieries fall under his assembly constituency) the strike has been good. In Calcutta the headquarters of Coal India Ltd., and its subsidiaries offices have witnessed hundred percent successful strikes. In the meantime the reports from the striking unions in the Coal companies have mentioned that the campaign jointly organised by the four central trade unions viz., AITUC, BMS, CITU and HMS has generated tremendous enthusiasm amongst the workers all over the country. Such rich experience suggests the determination of the workers to fight back the move of the government to privatize the coalmines. The resounding success of the strike by the six lakhs coal workers clearly points out that the united strength of trade union movement is definitely capable to fight back the mad drive for privatisation and liquidation of public sector from the industrial map of the country. eom |
