All India Coalmine Pensioners’ Convention, which was held here on Sunday, resolved to wage a united struggle by actively involving all the pensioners of Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries as well as the trade unions operating in the coal industry across the country in pursuit of its legitimate demands, including revision of pension under the Coal Mines Pension Scheme, 1998.
The convention passed resolutions reiterating its resolve to undertake a broad based sustained struggle to press for its charter of demands including implementation of one rank one pension scheme, raising the minimum monthly pension to Rs.10,000, provision of dearness allowance, healthcare and other statutory benefits. Delegates representing various trade unions from the host State of Telangana as well as from West Bengal, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and other States attended the convention.
A host of trade union leaders from the Singareni Coalfields, Western and Eastern coalfields participated in the deliberations.
Speaking at the inaugural session, All India Coal Workers Federation general secretary D.D. Ramanandan deplored that the Coal Mines Pension Scheme remained unrevised since its inception in 1998.
The coal mine pensioners rendered invaluable services in boosting the country’s economy by working in most hazardous conditions for nearly two to three decades prior to their retirement. However, they continue to be deprived of due pension owing to the failure of the successive governments at the Centre to revise their pension for nearly 18 years. Some of the pensioners are receiving pension as low as Rs 350 per month, he pointed out. “The faulty scheme should be amended forthwith to render justice to the lakhs of coal mine pensioners in the country,” he demanded.
Coalmines Pensioners Welfare Association, Asansol, general secretary, Jitendra Nath Ghosh, and others spoke.
