SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Oct 15: Two members of JBCCI- Sujit Bhattacharya and former Nirsa MLA Arup Chatterjee- have jumped in support of the retired coal employees’ demand for revision of pension and have announced to join their day-long agitation under the banner of Coal Pensioners Association at the Coal Mines Provident Fund Organization (CMPFO) national headquarter in Dhanbad on October 17.
JBCCI (Joint Bipartite Committee for Coal Industry) is a major policy-making body of Coal India Limited (CIL) which decides wages, bonuses and other guidelines for coal employees.
Though it is a nationwide agitation, the retired coal employees of Jharkhand-based Central Coalfield Limited (CCL) Ranchi, Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) Dhanbad and Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) Sanctoria (Bengal) would participate in large numbers.
Sujit Bhattacharya and Arup Chatterjee represent Central Trade Union Congress (CITU) in JBCCI and their support for retired coalmen’s agitation is being seen as a big advantage for the Coal Pensioners Association.
Coal Pensioners Association President Ramanuj Prasad said that the retired persons’ body is also trying to garner the support of other nationally-recognized trade unions. The Association is trying to contact another JBCCI member Sidharth Gautam of Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) for support in the agitation.
“Present pension of CIL is full of anomalies. Coalmen who sacrificed their lives after the nationalisation of the coal industry are being given a minimum of Rs 49 as a pension. In this situation, no one can lead his life normally. The association knocked on the door of CMPFO, CIL, ministry of coal and PMO but no one took cognizance of our plight. So, the retired coalmen decided to hold an agitation in this age at the CMPFO headquarters to seek justice,” said Ramanuj Prasad.
The association is demanding a minimum of Rs 10,000 as a pension. As per the plan, the retired coalmen would first hold a demonstration and then sit on a dharna.
