Coal news and updates

Coal production comes to a halt

Coal production in the government-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL)’s 45 coal mines located across six districts came to a halt as the workers struck work from the first shift on Thursday morning on the day one of the three-day strike called by five central trade unions and the TRS-affiliated Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS).

The 72-hour strike was called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of all the major trade unions of the SCCL, affiliated to the INTUC, the AITUC, the CITU, the HMS and the BMS, besides the TBGKS, setting aside ideological affiliations to protest the Centre’s decision to auction four coal blocks in the state for commercial mining.

The SCCL, the only state-owned coal mining company in south India, with a manpower of around 43,000, suffered an estimated production loss of a little over 1.50 lakh tonnes on the first day of the strike, sources said.

The SCCL management tried to avert the strike, but in vain.