Trade unions of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) are gearing up for the ensuing recognised trade union elections, which is held every four years in Singareni in the months of June or July.
On July 28, 2012, the Singareni management had conducted elections to the recognised trade union and handed over the certificate of recognised trade union to the winner in August, 2012. Then, the Telangana Boggu Ghani Karimika Sangham (TGBKS), affiliated to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), had won the elections for the first time, with the separate Telangana statehood slogan defeating the strong CPI affiliated AITUC and Congress affiliated INTUC.
With the elections round the corner, the trade unions have already launched their campaigning in the coal belt areas of Karimnagar, Adilabad, Warangal and Khammam districts. There are more than 15 trade unions in the coal belt region, but the main contenders in the elections would be the ruling TGBKS, AITUC, INTUC and HMS.
Last elections were fought on the slogan of Telangana statehood sentiment by all the trade unions. During the period, the TGBKS had promised to revive the dependent employment scheme, which was shelved by the TDP government in 1998. It had also promised opening up new mines to create employment and also open auxiliary units for employment generation in the coal belt region.
Employment
Following the failure of fulfilling the promise of reviving the depending employment scheme by the TGBKS, the other trade unions – AITUC, INTUC and HMS – were fighting against the Singareni management to provide employment to the children of coal miners. The Opposition trade unions were also launching a campaign against the government for reducing the coal miners’ strength without opening new mines to create new jobs.
But, the TGBKS leaders were confident that the government would announce the popular dependent employment scheme before going to elections.
Former president of the TGBKS Kencherla Mallaiah said, “We will win the recognised trade union elections for the second term with the support of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and the welfare programmes taken up during our period.”
