CIL workers' strike on Sept 2 seen to have limited impact

With the state-owned CIL having around 42 mt of coal at its pithead and power plants in possession of comfortable fossil fuel stock, the proposed one-day strike by coal workers next week is likely to have a limited direct impact.
The trade unions will go on a nation-wide stir on September 2 to press for their various demands.
"There is around 42 million tonnes of coal stock at pithead. Moreover, all the power houses have comfortable coal stock," a Coal India official said.
"So, you can see that we have plenty of coal stocks to meet any shortfall in production."

On an average, there is around 23 days of coal stock at power houses, the official said.
"Strike would have no impact on the dispatch of coal," the official added.

PwC's Kameswara Rao said that "given the lean demand and high coal stocks at plants and mines, the strike will have limited direct impact".
On August 20, CIL had told exchanges: "We have received a communication of notice... For strike on September 2. Efforts are being made for conciliation process."
In September last year, a majority of about 4 lakh coal workers across the country had gone on strike called by trade unions, which hit the production level in a big way.

The strike call was given by major trade unions such as INTUC, AITUC and CITU to pitch for their demands that included opposition to any further stake sale in Coal India.
Nearly 5 lakh bank union workers and officers are set to join the strike called by trade unions on September 2 to protest against what they call "anti-people policies of the Modi government and labour reforms".