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Singareni coal miners' strike called off

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

The 13-day indefinite strike by 105,000 workers of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited has been called off at the intervention of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The workers resumed their duties from the morning shift on Friday.

An agreement was reached by the SCCL management and the joint action committee of Singareni Workers Union on Thursday evening, after the state government and SCCL conceded the main demands of the unions.

The strike, which lasted 13 days, resulted in production loss of 1.3 million tonnes of coal valued at Rs 1.17 billion.

The striking workers also lost wages to the tune of Rs 520 million.

As per the agreement reached in the presence of the chief minister, the SCCL management agreed to pay 60 per cent of the sixth wage board arrears of Rs 4.5 billion as advance to the serving employees by August 15, 2001.

For retired and retiring employees, full arrears will be paid by August 15, as per the decision of the Joint Bipartite Committee on Coal Industry on June 13.

The SCCL also agreed to pay 10 per cent of the profits for the financial year 1999-2000 as special incentive to the workers within two weeks. It was also agreed that the profession tax for SCCL workmen would be deferred.

The SCCL offered three options to the employees with regard to dependent employment in cases arising due to death/medical invalidation of the workers.

Though as per the JBCCI norms and the Supreme Court's decision, a job can be provided only if vacancies are available, but as a special case, the SCCL decided to provide employment to 25 persons per month out of the existing waiting list as on December 31, 2000.

The alternative monthly monetary compensation of Rs 3,000 will be available to those who do not wish to wait for alternative job. In this event, the SCCL management will also facilitate a guaranteed loan up to Rs 100,000 on the patter of Chief Minister's Empowerment for Youth scheme for self-employment.

As a third alternative option, the SCCL management will offer a one-time commuted lump sum amount of Rs 300,000.

The chief minister appealed to workmen to immediately resume duty and work in the interest of the company and avoid any further strike which would be detrimental to the progress of the company and the welfare of the employees and their families.

The union leaders led by JAC convenor Gattaiah thanked the chief minister for the initiative he had taken and the understanding he had shown in amicably settling the dispute in the interest of the company and employees.

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