SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Mar 10: The letter of Coal Indian Limited (CIL) to the Indian National Trade Union Cong (INTUC) for sending a common list of its delegation’s names for the JBCCI (Joint Bipartite Committee for the Coal Industry) meeting over the National Coal Wage Agreement (NCWA) X has fueled the fire in faction-ridden Cong Party’s miners’ organisation.
In wake of the Kolkata High Court order on February 10, 2023, to allow Indian National Mines Workers Federation (INMWF) to participate in a JBCCI meeting over NCWA XI, INMWF Jayamangal Singh alias Anup Singh faction on February 16, 2023, sent a list of four Titular members and four alternative representatives.
But seven days later, the INMWF Lalan Choubey faction held a meeting in Delhi on February 23, 2023, and sent a list of four Titular members and four alternative representatives of INTUC for the JBCCI meeting.
On basis of miners’ strength in CIL, INTUC has been given four seats of Titular and four alternative representatives to sit at the JBCCI meeting.
Since both the INMWF factions have sent a list, the CIL management has shot off a letter to INTUC to send a common list of names for JBCCI.
INMWF Anup Singh faction general secretary SQ Jama has protested the common list demand of CIL management and alleged that it has been done under central government pressure to make the matter complicated. Jama has also written a letter to CIL saying that his organisation would file contempt of court if, by March 12, INMWF is not given representation.
However, in March, INMWF Lalan Choubey faction general secretary Lalan Choubey also shot off a letter to CIL management asking to cancel the list of Anup Singh faction given on February 16 in the interest of coal workers. Lalan Choubey has supported the common list sent by INTUC national president G Sanjeeva Reddy on June 5, 2021.
In the list sent by INTUC national president Sanjeeva Reddy two years ago to CIL, four members were Jaya Mangal Singh, SQ Jama, Saubhagya Pradhan and Lalan Choubey. As alternative members names of PK Rai, B Janak Prasad, Chandi Banerjee and Birendra Singh Bist were included.
“We have no objection if the common list sent by INTUC national president two years ago is sent,” said Suresh Chandra Jha, president of the Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Sangh (RCMS).
A senior INTUC leader said that now the ball is in the court of G Sanjeeva Reddy to decide,
Notably, the name of G Sanjeeva Reddy is also among the four titular members list sent by Lalan Choubey. Other names are B Janak Prasad, Lalan Choubey KP Rai and four alternative members Saubhagya Pradhan, KK Singh, Birendra Singh Bist and Suresh Chandra Jha.
Anup Singh faction had on February 16 sent four names of Jaya Mangal Singh, SQ Jama, B Janak Prasad and Saubhagya Pradhan. Four alternative members were AK Jha, Chandi Banerjee, Gopal Narayan Singh and Birendra Singh Bist.
