Coal news and updates

CIL unions threaten ‘work to rule’ strike for 3 days

September 4: Five major trade unions at Coal India Limited (CIL) have threatened to go on a three-day (September 18-20, 2014) “work to rule” strike at all the mines of CIL to protest against the proposed disinvestment in the company and to press for other demands as well.

The unions will meet on September 21 to “review the response and status of demands and decide on the future course of action”.

This move can impact coal production at CIL in September. 

In filing to the BSE, the world’s largest miner said, “Efforts are being made to reconcile the same.”

The unions which served notice to CIL comprises the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), All- India Coal Workers' Federation (AICWF) and the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC).

They featured long lists of demands that, apart from stopping divestment, include a pause on captive coal block allocations and recovering the blocks that have already been allocated, scrapping of Coal Videsh, the overseas arm of the company, decentralisation and a coal pricing mechanism and inclusion of five unions in the pricing mechanism, lifting the ban on recruitments and continuation of e-auction, among others.