SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Nov 21: The central trade unions have decided to hold a nationwide protest in the coal industry on December 2 against the new labour laws of the central government.
Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Union (INTUC) vice-president AK Jha said that the central government has terminated 40 labour codes and introduced four new codes in their place which is against the interest of the miners. Now, the central government is mounting pressure on the state governments to implement them.
Jha said all five central trade unions including Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) have decided to hold demonstrations in collieries of all coal companies across the country.
“A meeting of four trade unions including INTUC, AITUC, HMS and CITU was held in Delhi in this regard under the chairmanship of G Sanjeeva Reddy and all of them unanimously decided to hold demonstrations in the coal industry,” he said. The RCMU vice president expressed hope that BMS would also join it.
Notably, BMS had not participated in the two-day (March 28-29, 2022) nationwide strike called by the joint front of four central trade unions.
“According to the new labour laws, the working hours for a day are 12 while the weekly hours of work are 48. “All clauses in 4 labour codes are pro-capitalist,” said Jha.
The RCMU vice-president said that central trade unions had sent several letters to the employment and labour ministry as well as union labour minister Bhupender Yadav requesting to solve the problems in the new labour codes but he did not take the cognizance. This resulted in the trade unions becoming compelled to protest in the coal industry.
Rashtriya Khan Mazdoor Federation (INTUC) national president MLA Jaymangal Singh alias Anup Singh has called upon all miners, especially Jharkhand-based collieries of Central Coalfield Limited (CCL), Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) for showing the strength in the interest of labours.
RCMU has also decided to support Kisan March at Raj Bhawan across the country on November 29.
