A proposed three-day strike, beginning March 13, by officials of Coal India Ltd is likely to impact its production by approximately 5 million tonnes (about 1.7 mt a day).

About 20,000 officers of Coal India Ltd and 4,000 officials of Singareni Collieries Company have decided to go on a three-day strike, demanding pay revision and immediate implementation of certain benefit schemes.

According to VP Singh, President, Coal Mines Officers’ Association of India , production and dispatch operations will be halted during the proposed strike.

The strike has been announced at a time when CIL fell short of its target production for 2013-14 by 15 mt as of December. The strike has been called precisely on three major grounds – revision of pay, releasing performance-related payment and implementation of New Pension Scheme.

Singh said part of the performance-related payment, which was agreed upon in 2007, was not released for the past six years due to administrative delays on the part of the Union Ministry of Coal and CIL. A previous proposal for a strike with the same demands was called off in September last year.

Huge payout According to him, arrears of performance-related payment and terminal benefits of nearly ₹1,000 crore (since the wage agreement in January 2007) have not been cleared.

Singh added that the Association has also claimed a 30 per cent wage hike for executives to match with the existing salary and benefits paid to the workers.

The Officers’ forum appeared firm on their claims this time, as Singh reiterated, “unless there is a concrete outcome from the meetings with the deputy labour commissioner on Monday and the CIL management on Tuesday, the strike would not be called off”. The association has also threatened to go an indefinite strike if its demands are not by March 15.

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