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Time to do or die for coal workers: Aituc president

Ramendra Kumar, the All India Trade Union Congress (Aituc) national president, has condemned the government move of bringing an ordinance calling it a bid to privatize and denationalize the coal industry. "It is simply unacceptable to the trade unions," said the former MP. Five trade unions including BMS, Intuc, HMS, Aituc and Citu are fully prepared for a nationwide strike beginning Tuesday.

"We will remain unfazed by the government's threat of action against workers participating in it," said a resolute Kumar. He added that five central trade unions representing vast majority of workers in the coal sector, including Coal India Limited (CIL) subsidiaries, are fully prepared for a five-day strike to protest against the government's bid for privatization and disinvestment in the public sector. The power sector will be the worst-hit with losses mounting up to Rs 150 crore a day.

Five central trade unions calling the strike boycotted the meeting convened by the government on Saturday and are geared up for the strike starting Monday, Kumar said. Terming the protest action as unprecedented in the history of coal industry, the unions urged the workers to participate in it on a war-footing and oppose the coal block allocation ordinance and moves to privatize the coal sector.

Kumar said a consensus had emerged among the trade unions after the government ?showed "enough arrogance" over re-issuing the ordinance "without any consultations" with the unions as the Centre is bent on diluting and gradually denationalizing Coal India Limited (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL).

Aituc leader expressed "pride" over the display of unity by all trade unions in boycotting the meeting convened by Union minister Piyush Goyal to avert the industrial ?crisis.

"The central trade unions call upon the coal workers of CIL/subsidiaries and SCCL to launch the five-day total strike in the coal industry from the first shift of January 6 to the third shift of January 10 in the most militant manner...It is time for coal workers to do or die," ?the veteran CPI leader and Aituc president, hailing from Ramgarh said.

Source: The Times of India