SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Jan 6: The Indian National Mines Workers Federation (INMWF), the frontal miners’ organisation of the Congress Party, has alleged that miners’ interests and rights were completely ignored in the 11th coal wage agreement signed at Kolkata meeting on January 3.
Reacting first time on the 11th coal wage agreement, INMWF and Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Union (RCMS) said that they support the decision of four national trade unions on the agreement but same time also feels that they (national trade union) failed to bargain with Coal India Limited (CIL) management over interest and rights of miners.
Moreover, INMWF would demonstrate in all companies of CIL in protest against injustice with miners at the Kolkata meeting. The demonstration would start in Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) Sijua area tomorrow.
“First, they agreed on an agreement on 19 per cent minimum guarantee benefit (MGB), 1 per cent less than that of the 10th Wage Board agreement (20 per cent). Now in the future, CIL would mount pressure on trade unions to compromise on less MGB,” said AK Jha senior vice-president of INMWF and general secretary of RCMU.
At the JBCCI meeting, CIL invited only four national trade unions BMS, CITU, AITUC and HMS. Cong’s INTUC was left out in the name of pending court cases.
INMWF vice-president said that national trade unions should have bargained on curtailment of miners’ rights given in the 10th wage board agreement at the Kolkata meeting rather than concentrating only on wage agreement which management had to give at any cost.
“CIL has stopped giving jobs to dependents of medical unfit miners that had been given since 1979. Over 40,000 miners are medically unfit in CIL but their dependents are deprived of jobs. It is a matter of surprise that at the meeting, the issue of giving MGB to contractual and outsourcing workers was not discussed. They have still not given bonuses at par with regular employees of CIL. Even the working hours of contractual and outsourcing workers are not fixed and it should have been discussed,” said AK Jha.
INMWF senior vice-president said t as per the decision of the Puri National Convention held last month, it was decided to launch agitation against injustice to miners.
“We were waiting for the decision of the 11th wage Board agreement. Since miners were not given their due INMWF would demonstrate tomorrow,” said Jha.
