Five trade unions in the coal sector have decided to organize people in mining areas to generate public sentiment against the government’s decision to start commercial mining after a three-day national strike, officials said on Sunday. The unions, including the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) of Coal India, have agreed to go on a day’s strike on 18 August, the last date for the submission of auction bids for 41 blocks.
The Center has introduced an auction mechanism for commercial mining, a development that opens up the country ‘s coal market to private players.
“We are not pushing back. Our protest will continue. We have decided to mobilise the locals in mine areas to protest against the commercial coal mining and to ensure that no private players enter the sites,” BMS leader B K Rai told .
He said all the five trade unions, in a meeting on Saturday, had decided to go for a strike on August 18.
“We will carry on protests in mining areas and start work-to-rule. All trade unions have their presence in the areas where the blocks are being offered for sale and we will be able to gain strength,” he said.
The three-day national strike by coal workers against the government’s decision to open up the sector for private players ended on Saturday, leading to almost zero production in most mines, and fuel shipments were completely blocked.
“Central trade unions have intended to build public sentiment against commercial mining in mining areas. We will continue our protests in a sustained manner if the government remains firm on its decision,” said SQ Zama, Secretary-General of the Indian National Mining Federation (INTUC).
The auction of 41 coal mines for commercial mining is expected to produce 33,000 crores of capital investment in the country over the next five to seven years.
