The Singareni Collieries Company limited (SCCL) management had launched a campaign to discourage coal miners from participating in the proposed strike from June 15. The national trade unions were bent upon going on indefinite strike demanding the revival of dependent employment scheme (DES).
The national trade unions viz. AITUC, INTUC, CITU, HMS and BMS had served a strike notice on the Singareni management on March 31after the High Court struck down the circular issued by the Singareni for the revival of the DES when an unemployed youth filed public interest litigation. Demanding the Government of fulfilling its promise, the trade unions served the strike notice.
The Labour Department held consultations with the trade unions and management on April 6, 17, 27 and the last one on May 25. During the talks the trade union leaders suggested that the management follow the DES which was in vogue in the SCCL from January 29, 1981 to June 6, 1998 by entering into agreement with the recognized trade union to avoid legal complications.
The trade union leaders have been visiting all the coal mines spread across the region and motivating the miners to participate in the strike as the Government had failed to fulfil its poll promise of revival of the DES. With the D-day fast approaching, the Deputy Central Labour Commissioner again invited the trade union leaders for another round of talks on July 13 in Hyderabad. However, the union leaders reiterated that they would not go back on their strike if the SCCL management failed to give assurance on the revival of the DES.
In the meantime, the SCCL management had been appealing to the miners to desist from participating in the indefinite strike as the company would be forced into crisis due to decline in coal production.
The management had informed the miners that the company would lose ₹ 41 crore worth coal production per day following the strike and miners would lose wages to the tune of ₹ 20 crore per day.
The Government was committed to fulfilling its promise of revival of DES, the SCCL said. Some people had approached the court and stopped the recruitment process, it said.
