Coal India unions defer strike to Dec

Disinvestment of 5% stake in Coal India Ltd (CIL) is likely to sail through, with the workers’ unions deciding to defer a three-day strike starting Monday until December, following a four-hour meeting with the company management.

“Our opposition to the stake-sale and proposed restructuring is still there. But we are aware of the economic situation of the country and hence we are deferring the strike. We do not want to spoil the investors’ mood at this moment,” SQ Zama, secretary general of Indian National Mine Workers’ Federation affiliated to INTUC, said after the meeting.

There was no definite promise on stake-sale and restructuring of CIL, officials said.

CIL management, however, has promised to look into some of their wage-related issues.

“If our demands are not met we would go for a three-day strike from December 17,” Zama said.

CIL officials on Friday met five of its’ unions representing about three lakh mine workers. For each day of the strike, the coal miner would have faced a production shortfall of 1 million tonne.

Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal, earlier had a series of meetings with the trade union leaders in June and July.