The Hindu Business Line : Singareni Collieries invokes ESMA against strike

A DAY ahead of the proposed three-day strike called by the workmen union demanding a hike in wages, the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act to ban the strike.

All those employees participating in the strike and affecting production would be dealt with severely under the ESMA, a company spokesperson said.

The Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) along with other trade unions gave the three-day strike call from April 25.

However, the recognised unions including the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) have decided to stay away from the strike.

Aimed at ensuring continued mining activity in the backdrop of strike call, the Singareni Collieries management has decided to deploy police at all vulnerable points of the 11 opencast and 55 underground mines, the spokesperson said.

Singareni Collieries currently produces nearly one-lakh tonne of coal per day with an employee/workmen force of 92,000.

A majority portion of coal production goes into the thermal power stations located in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. A portion is also being supplied to cement and steel-rolling mills in the region.

Allaying apprehensions that the strike would adversely affect power production in the State, the Andhra Pradesh Generation Corporation (APGenco) officials said they have enough coal stocks.

According to trade union representatives, the wages have to be enhanced by a declaration by the Joint Bipartite Consultative Committee on Coal Industry, which has representatives from the coal companies, unions and Government.

While discussions at the Committee have already concluded, the issue was now pending before a group of Ministers headed by the Union Defence Minster, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, they said.

The strike threat comes close on the heels of the State-owned Singareni Collieries declaring a record production of 35.3-million tonnes during the year 2004-05.

The company has announced achievement of an all-time record in coal despatches at 34.7-m.t. of coal during the fiscal ended March 31, 2005.

Of this, 74 per cent of coal went to power plants, while the despatches to cement industry stood at 10.4 m.t., constituting 14 per cent of the total production, the company said.

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