Just hours after Union coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said he would go ahead with the second round of divestment of 5% in Coal India Ltd (CIL), CITU-led All-India Coal Workers Federation (AICWF) has served a notice declaring three-day strike from September 19.
While Jaiswal, on the sidelines of an interactive session organised by the MCC Chamber of Commerce, said the government could raise R10,000 crore through the divestment, AICWF made clear it would allow the disinvestment to happen.
AICWF general secretary Jibon Roy said all the five national federations functioning in the coal industry had unanimously decided to go on a strike to assert their opposition to the government?s further 10% disinvestment plan. The trade unions also opposed the government?s plan to spin off CIL into several companies.
The strike would start from the first shift of September 19 and end after the third shift of September 21. ??We have said we would do 5% disinvestment. I am aware of the situation. I am sure we will get everybody on the board,? Jaiswal said.
The trade unions claim to have one-third membership of CIL?s total 3.5 lakh workforce. This means mining operation would be jeopardized for the three days strike at a time when CIL?s asking growth rate is 7% to achieve the annual production target of 492 million tonne.
CIL chairman S. Narsing Rao said he would hold meeting with the trade unions to relent them from the strike. I havn?t seen the notice as yet but certainly we will discuss. We have some time in our hand,? Rao said.
INTUC led trade union general secretary SQ Zama said;
though their trade union was against disinvestment, they wanted to discuss further with government before deciding on a strike. ?There are many other issues like supplying coal to the power sector, which is crucial to the economy on a whole,? Zama said.
A CIL official said that Jaiswal held a review meeting with the company on Wednesday and also discussed the issue of strike.
