State-run miner Coal India (CIL) on Wednesday said central trade unions, including the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), have called for a three-day strike from October 5 over issues pertaining to wage payment.
“CIL is in receipt of a joint strike notice from central trade unions —BMS/INTUC/HMS/AITUC/CITU for observing three-day strike from October 5 to 7 in Coal lndia Limited & its subsidiaries,” the company said in a stock exchange filing.
According to trade union leaders, the workers affiliated with national trade unions have been forced to threaten a strike due to a wage dispute. The workers would neither produce coal nor allow its dispatch for three days, they stated.
Significantly, if the unions go ahead with the strike next month, it would be amidst the festive season when demands for power go up.
CIL, the world’s largest coal producer, said it has written a letter to the chief labour commissioner (Central) and has requested to take necessary action and seize the matter under conciliation, in order to safeguard the interest of the company as well as the country’s as the coal industry has been declared a “Public Utility Service”, and an uninterrupted production and supply of coal to power plants is essential to ensure electricity generation and supply.
Notably, the company had reached an agreement in May this year on revision of wages for its 238,000 strong non-executive workers for a period of five years. Under the agreement, a 19% minimum guaranteed benefit effective from July 1, 2021, on emoluments, including basic, VDA, SDA & attendance bonus, and a 25% increase in allowances have been granted.
CIL’s supplies to the power sector during August 2023 were higher than the committed quantity. Against the commitment of 1.44 MTs per day, the company supplied 1.515 MTs per day.
During April-August 2023, the coal-fired plants of the country received 248.7 MTs of coal from the company, posting a 2% comparative growth. Supplies to the power sector were 243.5 MTs in April-August 2023.