Coal news and updates

BMS threatens to cease work over coal Bill from Jan 6

The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the largest trade union in India, has demanded withdrawal of Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill which is pending approval of Rajya Sabha. The union members have threatened to go on a five-day cease work from January 6 across all mines under Coal India Limited (CIL), if their demand is not fulfilled.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Sunday, general secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Khan Mazdoor Sangh (ABKMS), the coal trade union of BMS, Pradeep Kumar Dutt claimed that CIL is capable of meeting the national coal need any time. Calling the Bill detrimental to public sector, he said, “It is unfortunate that an impression is being created that CIL is unable to meet the coal demand of the country. In fact, more quantity of coal than what the Government imports per annum is stocked at CIL pit heads. But, the Government cannot transport it to power plants,”  he said.

“It is the fault of the Government if CIL is lagging behind in its mission. The Government should clear all pending coal projects of CIL and provide infrastructural network before accusing the coal major of failing to meet the demand,” Dutt said.

The BMS leader accused the Government of hatching a conspiracy to weaken the CIL by allowing private players and foreign companies to mine and market coal through the Bill.

The price of coal and power will be too high for common man to bear, he warned.

Dutt said as per the decision taken by five Central coal trade unions at Ranchi last week, around 3.27 lakh coal workers of CIL will resort to cease work, paralysing production and despatch in all the CIL mines spread over nine States.

The workers of Singreni Coal Field Limited in Andhra Pradesh and all the private coal mines will also join the strike, Dutt informed.

He was also critical of liberal economic policies of the Central Government which will increase unemployment rate and bring down labour wages.

Source: The New Indian Express