The national trade unions of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) are up in arms against the State Government demanding the Government of fulfilling the promises made during the trade union elections in October last year.
The INTUC, AITUC, CITU and BMS have given a call to observe day-long token strike on February 14 demanding the Government of reviving dependent employment scheme, regularisation of proxies, interest-free loans to the coal miners and other promises.
The trade unions submitted memoranda to the officials of the Singareni and on Thursday last launched relay hunger strike in front of all the coal mines. The trade unions also decided to intensify their agitation and said if promises were not fulfilled before February 14 they would go ahead with proposed one-day strike.
Delay in the revival of the dependent employment scheme has proved to be the biggest cause of concern for the coal miners as more than 1,500 miners had retired from service.
Some of the coal miners performed the marriages of their daughters promising Singareni jobs to the sons-in-law as dowry and there were instances of grooms providing ‘kanyashulkam’ to the bride’s parents for marrying with the promise of securing job in coal mines. During the union elections Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had announced revival of the Dependent Employment Scheme by constituting a medical board, sanction of ₹10 lakh interest-free loan to the miners for construction of houses, regularisation of proxy miners, providing air-conditioning facilities to the quarters of miners, corporate hospital treatment to miners and their families and may more.
The Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmika Sangham (TGBKS) affiliated to the TRS had won the election with a thumping majority in October. The TRS Government could not constitute regional official committees of the Singareni after the TGBKS got elected as the recognised trade union.
Cashing in on the sentiment of the revival of the Dependent Employment Scheme, the national trade unions have taken to the streets for past one month and began exerting pressure on the Singareni management.
Incidentally, the TGBKS also remained silent over the issue in the coal belt region.
