CITU Opposes 100% FDI In Coal Industry

M K Pandhe, president, CITU, has written a letter on May 25, 2006 to the union coal minister protesting against the government’s decision to allow 100 per cent FDI in coal industry.

Following is the text of the letter:

IN a meeting of the central trade unions working in coal industry convened by you at Ranchi on March 29, 2006 you agreed to convene a meeting of trade unions on the issues raised by them about the working of coal industry.  However, though two months have passed since then no meeting has been convened by you so far.

We were surprised to note that without having any discussion with central trade unions, you have unilaterally made announcement that 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) will be allowed in coal industry. This decision of the government is resolutely opposed by all the unions working in coal industry and if the government goes ahead with this proposal despite opposition of the trade unions the issue is bound to create industrial relation problem in coal industry.

With the open connivance of the ministry of coal, the coal companies are non-chalantly resorting to outsourcing even the production jobs, which are in the prohibited category. It appears that about one third of the coal is produced by workers engaged by contractors in our coal mines. In Mahandai Coalfields the entire mine is sought to be given to private sector for producing coal. These contract workers are ill-paid and no benefits of labour law is made available to them.  According to us this is nothing but backdoor privatisation.

The safety  conditions in our coal mines are deteriorating fast and loss of precious life of workers is on the rise. The occupational health of workers is also deteriorating while the coal companies are totally unconcerned with this state of affairs. I would like to draw your attention to the growing resentment prevailing among the workers, which may lead to spontaneous actions by the workers in different collieries.

I would, therefore, request you to convene a meeting of trade unions at an early date so that these issues are properly discussed and the government adopts a policy in consultation with trade unions.

I hope you will appreciate the gravity of the situation and convene the meeting without any further delay. (INN)