Workers strike hit CIL output by about 57%

New Delhi: A day-long strike by workers of state-owned Coal India led to a production loss of about 57 per cent on Tuesday, a company official said on Wednesday.

Coal India (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) workers were on a day-long strike on Tuesday protesting the Centre's decision to allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment in the two PSUs through automatic route. The strike call was given by five central trade unions namely INTUC, HMS, AITUC, CITU and AICCTU.

The production hit on Tuesday was at about 57 per cent, the official said.

"Unlike about 10.8 lakh tonne of coal produced everyday on an average by the company (with respect to normal operations), the output yesterday (on Tuesday) was about 4.6 lakh tonne," the official said.

On Tuesday, the company had an attendance of 36 per cent on account of the strike.

The coal behemoth accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the total output of the dry fuel in the country. CIL is the largest coal-producing company in the world and one of the largest corporate employers with manpower of 2.8 lakh as on April 1, 2019.

"All unions except BMS (Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh) will meet shortly to intensify their movement. The strike was total with a complete halt in production, transportation and dispatch of coal from all mines -- Assam to Singareni," All India Coal Workers' Federation General Secretary D D Ramanandan had on Tuesday said.

Ramendra Kumar, former MP and central committee president of AITUC, had said coal workers of all the subsidiaries of CIL participated in the strike.

"The strike was successful. Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham union of SCCL has also supported the strike," Indian National Mineworkers' Federation (INMF) Secretary General S Q Zama had said.

CIL's coal production was 606.88 million tonne in 2018-19, against the target of 610 million tonnes.

The company is targeting 660 million tonnes of coal in the current financial year.