Kolkata, Jul 5 (PTI) Five trade unions in the coal
sector have planned to mobilise people in mine areas to
generate public opinion against the government's decision to
start commercial mining, after their three-day nationwide
strike could not budge the Centre from its stand, officials
said on Sunday.
The unions, including RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor
Sangh (BMS), of Coal India have also decided to go for a day's
strike on August 18, the last date for submitting bids for the
auctioning of 41 blocks.
The Centre has started the auction process for
commercial mining, a move that opens the country's coal sector
for private players.
"We are not pushing back. Our protest will continue.
We have decided to mobilise the locals in mine areas to
protest against the commercial coal mining and to ensure that
no private players enter the sites," BMS leader B K Rai told
PTI.
He said all the five trade unions, in a meeting on
Saturday, had decided to go for a strike on August 18.
"We will carry on protests in mining areas and start
work-to-rule. All trade unions have their presence in the
areas where the blocks are being offered for sale and we will
be able to gain strength," he said.
The three-day nationwide strike by coal workers
against the government's decision to open the sector for
private players ended on Saturday, leading to almost nil
production in most of the mines, and dispatch of the fuel was
totally blocked.
"The central trade unions have planned to build public
opinion against commercial mining in mine areas. We will
continue our protests in a sustained way if the government
remains firm on its decision," INTUC-backed Indian National
Mineworkers' Federation secretary-general SQ Zama said.
The auctioning of 41 coal mines for commercial mining
is expected to garner Rs 33,000 crore of capital investment in
the country over the next five to seven years. PTI BSM
BDC BDC