SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Jan 7: Central trade unions are divided over the success of the 11th coal-based agreement signed on January 3, at Kolkata. While INTUC (Cong) has alleged interests of miners were overlooked, the other four central trade unions claimed coal workers got ever highest benefit.
Senior trade union leader and JBCCI member from All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Lakhan Lal Mahto has said that all four trade unions did best at the negotiation table and Rs 6973.70 in the 11th national coal wage (NCW) agreement is ever highest benefit for miners of Coal India Limited (CIL) so far.
He refuted the charges of INTUC that miners’ important issues were overlooked at the Kolkata meeting on January 3. Mahto said that in the 11th and 10th NCW agreement, miners got the highest benefit of Rs 6973.70 and Rs 4899 respectively in which the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) was not part of the negotiation.
However, when INTUC was part of the 9th NCW agreement, miners got merely Rs 3513 whereas In the 8th NCW agreement, they merely got Rs 1808 and in the 7th NCW agreement Rs 185. So it could be said so far it was the ever-highest benefit negotiated for miners by trade unions.
“At the Kolkata meeting on January 3, all four trade unions (AITUC, BMS, CITU and HMS) have signed and given consent only on 19 per cent Minimum Guarantee benefit. It would become an agreement when CIL got a nod from the government of India. Since this agreement is against guidelines of the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), neither discussion on different issues held nor decided at Kolkata parley,” said Mahto.
AITUC leader said two to three meetings of JBCCI would be held in which different issues such as the allowance of miners, welfare and social security would be discussed and decided.
“We can say at the Kolkata meeting we have decided on the Tilak ceremony. The decision on dowry is yet to be decided. After finalisation of dowry, marriage (final agreement on 11th NCW) would be done,” said Lakhan Lal.
JBCCI member said Till March, the 11th NCW agreement process would be completed and miners will get a new pay scale from the month of April. Thereafter, arrear payment issues would be also raised.
