Delay in the implementation of the Tenth Wage Board revision for the coal workers and revival of the dependent employment scheme are likely to be the dominant issues in the election to the recognized trade union of Singareni Collieries Company Limited.
The Tenth Joint Bipartite Committee for Coal Industry (JBCCI) on pay revision had already held more than eight rounds of talks with the Coal India Limited and the trade unions. But, there is no progress so far on the revision on the wages of the coal workers of the country, including the Singareni.
Inconclusive talks
Recently, the JBCCI held talks from August 29 to 31, but could not come to any conclusion as Coal India was favouring seven working days and limiting dependent employment scheme to the children of miners who were killed in mine accidents. As the talks remained inconclusive the JBCCI is scheduled to meet again on September 18 and 19.
Demanding the implementation of tenth wage revision for the coal miners, which is due since July 1, 2016, the national trade unions —AITUC, HMS, CITU and BMS — have even participated in the three-day strike in June this year.
Blame game
The leaders of Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmika Sangham (TGBKS), affiliated to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti, have been charging the national trade unions, who are participating in the talks with the JBCCI, with deliberately delaying the implementation of the wage revision in view of elections to the recognized trade union of Singareni. They alleged that the leaders of national trade unions were delaying talks on wage revision as a part of election strategy.
Further, the TGBKS leaders blame the national trade unions for the abolition of the dependent employment scheme in the Singareni Collieries Company Limited. They are going about giving an assurance to the miners that the TRS government would revive dependent employment scheme and ensure that all the coal workers have their own house.
Strike call
On the other hand, the national trade unions are gearing up to call for another round of strike in protest against the delay in the implementation of the tenth wage board revision for the coal workers if the JBCCI talks fail on September 18 and 19.
They blame the Coal India Limited for the delay in the wage revision.