SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Oct 5: The management of Coal India Limited (CIL) has again ignored the Indian National Trade Union Cong (INTUC) at a meeting over the bonus of 2.34 lakh miners.
The CIL management has called a bipartite meeting with the representatives of central trade unions in New Delhi on October 8 over deliberation on the Performance Linked Reward (bonus) of miners for 2022-23.
In this regard, CIL general manager (personnel and industrial relations) Gautam Banerjee has invited Sudhir H Ghurde, Mazrul Huque Ansari ( BMS), Nathulal Pandey, Shiv Kant Pandey (HMS) Ramendra Kumar (AITUC) and DD Ramanandan (CITU) only. The Congress party’s INTUC has not been invited to the meeting.
INTUC secretary AK Jha said that the exclusion of INTUC is nothing but a political vendetta. On the directive of the BJP government, the Coal India management has intentionally ignored the INTUC which represents a major chunk of miners.
“ When the Supreme Court allowed the INTUC to participate in the NCW-XI agreement meeting, there was no reason to ignore it at the meeting convened for the bonus. This is nothing but frustration of the central government as well as the CIL management that have been shaken from three-day strike call of trade unions,” said Jha.
AK Jha said that the bonus is a minor issue and his union has the focus on serving the interest of the miners’ NCW-XI agreement salary for which the CIL is creating a hurdle.
AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress) senior leader Lakhan Lal Mahto (JBCCI alternative member), when contacted on Thursday, admitted to having received the invitation of the CIL for the talk.
“Though there is one point agenda of the meeting on Performance Linked Reward and minutes would be too on it when top trade unions leaders and management officials sit together also other issues could be discussed,” said Lakhan Lal Mahto.
The meeting is being held after all the five central trade unions served the notice of a three-day strike in the Coal India subsidiaries from October 12.
