A strike called by five Central coal trade unions today brought coal production and despatch at 21 mines of Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd (CIL), to a grinding halt.
More than 20,000 workers of MCL quit work in response to the stir called by the trade unions, demanding payment of Rs 25000 as annual puja bonus and a bonus of Rs 1000 to all contractual workers employed in CIL.
The stir at MCL today meant a production loss of around 0.25 million tonnes of coal valued at Rs 17.85 crore, said a company spokesperson.
Though talks were held on September 22 in New Delhi between CIL management and coal trade unions on the issue of bonus, these remained inconclusive.
While the coal trade unions had demanded Rs 25,000 as bonus, the CIL management agreed to pay Rs 17000, which was Rs 2000 higher than the previous year. The refusal of CIL authorities to offer a higher bonus broke down talks, forcing the trade unions to go for a nationwide stir to press for fulfillment of their demands.
"The strike is a total success as production and despatch of coal from all the mines have been stopped. The workers were forced to go for strike following breakdown of talks between the CIL management and workers' representatives on the issue of bonus and other things. The strike in Talcher is peaceful”, claimed all India Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangha (BMS) leader Badal Maharana.
“The strike was peaceful with thin attendance”, said A K Tiwari, director (technical), MCL. He expected the workers to join work in the evening.