SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, January 3: Recognized national trade unions have announced stopping coal dispatch from Lodna Colliery Area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) from January 11 in protest against selling closed mines to private operators.
INTUC general secretary AK Jha said that Coal India Limited (CIL) is handing over coal mines to a private party under Mine Developer Operator (MOD) mode without taking trade unions and consultative committee members in confidence.
Lodna Colliery Area and Putki Balihari Area labours have started protesting the management’s decision. They observed a token strike on December 29 by stopping coal dispatch.
Today, the management and colliery Area trade union leaders held a meeting in Lodna but disagreed.
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“Joint Front of four national trade unions (INTUC, AITUCK CITU and HMS) have called a meeting on January 7 at Jagjivan Nagar to discuss the indefinite stoppage of coal dispatch from January 11.
AK Jha said that the matter is serious. “All national trade unions have requested Chairman-cum-Managing Director of BCCL Samiran Dutta to call an emergent meeting to solve this problem in the interest of industrial relations.
“Under MDO mode, CIL hands over mines to private operators on a long-term basis (not less than 25 years) for mining and selling coal. That is a dangerous policy as capitalists are being given mines in MDO mode,” he added.
In outsourcing, private companies are given mines based on reserve coal in mines for a maximum of five years. Moreover, outsourcing companies have only mining power, not selling coal.
“We will review the CIL policy and, if needed, expand the coal dispatch strike in other collieries of BCCL also,” said INTUC general secretary AK Jha.
