In the run-up to the ensuing nation-wide general strike called by the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) in protest against the Centre’s “anti-worker” policies on March 28 and 29, the trade unions affiliated to the CITU, AITUC, INTUC and various other CTUs in Telangana’s coal belt region have initiated a series of meetings in the coal towns to drum up support for the general strike.
The two-day strike has been called to protest against the Centre’s alleged pro-corporate policies and attempts to privatise the public sector undertakings (PSUs).
The CITU affiliated Singareni Collieries Employees Union (SCEU) has already conducted a slew of meetings with coal miners in the Ramagundam, Kothagudem and other areas of the government-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) as a prelude to the forthcoming general strike.
The unions have been stridently opposing the Centre’s attempts to auction four coal blocks in the State for “commercial mining” and demanding allocation of these coal blocks to the SCCL under the slogan “Save Singareni,” the largest PSU in Telangana.
The ruling TRS-affiliated Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS) has also extended its support to the ensuing nation-wide general strike.
A decision to this effect was taken at the central committee meeting of the TBGKS held in Bhupalpally of Jayashankar Bhupalpally district on Monday.
In a statement, the TBGKS general secretary M Raji Reddy alleged that the BJP-led Central government was trying to undermine the hard-won rights of the working class by vigorously pursuing privatisation policies and attempting to thrust labour codes.
He called upon the workforce of the SCCL to participate in the forthcoming general strike voluntarily to register their protest against the Centre’s bid to auction the four coal blocks in Telangana for commercial mining as part of its “attempts” to privatise the PSUs.
