Five national trade unions — INTUC, AITUC, BMS, CITU and HMS — have decided to go on indefinite strike from April 15 in protest against the management of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited for its unilateral decisions.
The SCCL central trade unions joint forum leaders served the strike notice as per the ID (industrial dispute) Act to the Singareni management and submitted a copy to Regional Labour Commissioner in Hyderabad on Thursday. The leaders opposed the deduction of one-day salary of the coal miners for the COVID-19 relief without the consent and authorisation letters from the workers.
Flaying the illegal deduction of 50 % of salaries of the coal miners, they demanded that the management provide total salary to the coal miners. They also demanded that the management announce a lockdown of all underground mines as per the Union and State government instructions to avoid the spread of the deadly virus.
In the meantime, the Regional Labour Commissioner is reported to have instructed the SCCL management to hold bilateral talks with the trade union leaders to settle the issues amicably. The Labour Department said that they cannot hold talks due to lockdown and no transportation facilities.
