Coal unions meet on Monday to decide next course of action

Kolkata: After the one-day strike in Coal India and Singareni Collieries on September 24, five major trade unions will be meeting on Monday to review its impact and decide on the next course of action.

All coal sector trade unions had called a strike against the Centre's decision to allow 100 per cent FDI in coal mining.

While five major trade unions had called a one-day strike on September 24, the RSS affiliated labour union Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), had separately called for a cease work from September 23 to 27.

"We are meeting on Monday to decide on our next course of action. It would be harsher than the previous strike, if our demands are not met," the General Secretary of All India Coal Workers' Federation, D D Ramanandan, told PTI.

He also said the unions are open to dialogue with the government.

If unions resort to strike, Coal India's production target might go haywire. The company has a production target of 660 million tonnes in the current fiscal.

Coal India accounts for almost 80 per cent of national demand for the dry fuel.

The five unions that had observed the joint one-day strike were Indian National Mineworkers' Federation (INTUC), Hind Khadan Mazdoor Federation (HMS), Indian Mineworkers' Federation (AITUC), All India Coal Workers' Federation (CITU) and All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU).