Talks for the revival of Dependent Employment Scheme (DES) between the national trade unions and the management of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) held in the presence of Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner in Hyderabad failed on Tuesday night.
Following the failure of talks, the national trade unions AITUC, INTUC, CITU, HMS and BMS have decided to go on indefinite strike in the Singareni Collieries from June 15 demanding the revival of the DES as promised by the TRS Government during elections.
Ever since, the trade unions served strike notice to the SCCL management on March 31 demanding the revival of DES following the High Court stay on the circular issued by the SCCL management, the Labour Department had held four rounds of talks with the trade union leaders and the management. As a last-minute effort, the Labour Department again held consultations with the trade union leaders and the management right throughout the day on Tuesday.
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The SCCL management which agreed to take a sympathetic view on the demand for revival of DES, sought time for taking the opinion of the Attorney General on the issue. However, the trade union leaders gave a deadline of 4 p.m. on Wednesday for the management to announce the decision failing which they threatened to go on strike from Thursday morning.
The trade union leaders demanded that the management should allow the DES which was in vogue from January 29, 1981 to June 6, 1998 to avoid legal complications.