Central Trade Unions (CTUs) congratulated coal workers on Saturday for their national demonstration against the government’s attempt to privatize the industry. In a joint statement, 10 CTUs — INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC — said coal workers held a three-day strike from July 2-4.
“The CTS, independent sectoral federations and associations congratulate coal workers for bringing the coal mines and establishments under Coal India and SCCL to grinding halt with no production and no dispatch of coal. The strike was a grand success,” the statement said.
The effect was to the tune of 9 million tons of coal production, and dispatch could not have taken place, the CTUs reported.
The strike was called to protest the government’s decision to fully privatize the coal industry through unregulated commercial coal mining and private sector trading.
They demanded that the government abandon and withdraw its commercial mining policy.
On Friday, leaders of the ten main trade unions also protested against the government’s privatization push and reforms in labor laws by some state governments.
“The government continues with its arrogant attitude of going ahead with privatisation and sale of PSUs, and dangerously liberalising foreign entry in vital sectors of the economy like defence production from 49 per cent to 74 per cent along with corporatisation of 41 ordnance factories.
“It is also going ahead with its project of privatising Indian Railways in phases, the latest being its destructive decision of privatising 151 train services in highly remunerative routes to facilitate private players to make huge profit using infrastructure and manpower of Indian Railways,” the trade unions said.
Unions have expressed outrage over rising fuel prices, saying that the continuing increase in oil and diesel prices is another huge blow to the people.
The CTUs said that its members will meet shortly “to decide on the next course of action to continue their resolve to challenge and not cooperate with the government’s anti-national policies.”
