SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Feb 8: All five central trade unions are again divided on the proposal of Coal India Limited (CIL) over the formation of the Joint Bipartite Committee for the Coal Industry (JBCCI) sub-committee to decide over miners’ issues of wages, promotion of medical benefits and others.
The CIL executive director (ED) Ajay Kumar has written four trade unions BMS, AITUC, HMS and CITU to send the names of two members each by February 10 for the JBCCI Subcommittee.
All four central trade unions are divided into sub-committees. The Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) and The Central Industrial Trade Union (CITU) have opposed the JBCCI sub-committee. The Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) is undecided over the issue while the All India Trade Union Cong (AITUC) has supported it.
Former MLA and CITU JBCCI member Arup Chatterjee said that when all has already been done then there is no need of forming a sub-committee. The CITU favours forming a full bench of JBCCI to decide,” he said.
The HMS JBCCI member Sidharth Gautam has opposed the sub-committee and demanded that the matter should be discussed in a full bench of JBCCI.
He said that the full bench of JBCCI is long pending demands of the trade union notwithstanding the CIL management forming a sub-committee to decide.
The BMS general secretary Sudhir Ghurde when contacted on Wednesday said that his organisation has not decided on the sub-committee or full bench JBCCI so far.
“We will discuss it soon,” he said.
However, the BMS JBCCI member KP Gupta said that the organisation (BMS) will take the final decision on it but his personal view is in support of full bench discussion over miners’ issues.
“Even the sub-committee is formed and final ratification on the decision would be taken at JBBCI full bench. JBCCI members are experienced and it should be discussed in full Bench of JBBCI,” said KP Gupta.
AITUC alternate JBCCI member Lakhan Lal Mahto supported the formation of the sub-committee and said that the proposal of CIL is not new.
“Different sub-committees of JBCCI have been formed for the discussion over miners’ issues for the last several years. I was also a member of the Draft Sub Committee in the 7th NCW in 2005. It was also formed in 8th, 9th and 10th NCW,” said Mahto.
Lakhan Lal Mahto pleaded that a small committee helps in getting a quick and successful result. He said after eight meetings of JBCCI, they will be able to decide 11th NCW MGB.
Though the Indian National Trade Union (INTUC) has not been invited to send its two members’ names for the sub-committee, Cong’s miners’ frontal organisation Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Union (RCMU) has also opposed it.
The RCMU general secretary AK Jha said that the sub-committee or full bench of JBCCI does not matter till Coal India management does make its intention clear.
“Attitude of CIL management is not cleared for the welfare of miners as several burning issues are pending,” he said.
RCMU has also rejected a 19% Minimum Guarantee Benefit (MGB) of the 11th NCW which was signed on January 3 at Kolkata at the JBCCI meet.
