SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 26: In the wake of a meeting with the Coal India chairman in Delhi tomorrow, all the five central trade unions have cleared it that CIL needs to pay the revised salary for September as per the NCW-XI Agreement or perish.
Coal India Limited (CIL) Chairman Pramod Agrawal has invited representatives of all the five trade unions in New Delhi tomorrow (September 27) to talk over the three-day (October 5 to 7) proposed strike notice.
All the five recognized central trade unions- AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress), INTUC (Indian National Trade Union Congress), BMS (Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh), HMS (Hind Mazdoor Sabha), CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions)- on September 14 served a notice of strike in Coal India and Singareni Collieries Company Limited from October 5 if miners are not paid September salary as per the NCW-XI agreement.
AITUC senior leader and Joint Bipartite Committee for the Coal Industry- JBCCI (alternative) member Lakhan Lal Mahto said that the stand of the trade unions is clear. CIL paid July and August salaries as per the NCW-XI agreement. It even paid an arrear of 23 months of the revised salary. So, if September’s salary is not paid as per the NCW-XI agreement, 2.62 lakh minors of CIL, including around 1.07 lakh workforce of Jharkhand-based BCCL, CCL and ECL mines will go on strike.
“When the CIL has signed an agreement on NCW-XI and even started payment on its basis, there is no question of accepting less than it,” said Lakhan Lal Mahto. He further added that there is no legal embargo on payment of revised salary as the Jabalpur High Court has refused to give a stay.
Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Union (INTUC) general secretary and JBCCI ( alternative) member AK Jha said that after the nationalization of the coal industry in 1972-73 this is the first time in 50 years some officers of CIL have tried to stop payment of miners as per the agreement.
“This trend would trigger a clash between the worker and the officer class and create industrial unrest,” said AK Jha. He further said that it is a matter of surprise that the CIL chairman has signed an agreement but his subordinates have challenged it in court. Before striking a deal with the trade unions on NCW-XI, the CIL management must have taken permission from the Ministry of Coal but now new confusion is being created.
The RCMU secretary said CIL officers should demand for their enhancement rather than stopping the degradation of workers. Former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi set up the Wage Board and it must be honoured, he added.
