The Central Government is going to table a Bill to amend the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act. It is a conspiracy to privatise the Coal India limited and the aim is to hand over the coal industry of the country to the big corporate houses. “It is a fight of survival and we would not allow the Government to do so,” ex-MP adn national president of AITUC Ramendra Kumar said while addressing various a meeting in Hazaribagh colliery area on Monday.
Addressing the gathering, Ramendra Kumar appealed the workers to make their five-day strike call successful which is going to start from tomorrow i.e. from January 6 to January 10. He said that it is a fight of survival for all of us so it is the need of the hour that every coal worker should participate in this struggle.
Ex-MP Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Mehta, CPM leader Ganesh Kumar Citu, Ramdas Manjhi and others also addressed several meetings in the colliery areas to motivate the workers to actively participate in this five-day strike call given by combined forum of different trade unions. Ex-MP Mehta said that the proposed Bill is not only against the Coal India but also the coal workers.
Ganesh Citu said that it is a fight of survival for the coal workers of entire country, that is why, all trade unions have gathered on a common platform. If the Centre will amend the act, then our existence will be in danger. He said that some top leaders and top businessmen of this country have planned to capture on the precious coal which is a nature’s gift to us.
The leaders of united forum of all trade unions are working hard for the success of their strike call. From the last three days, rounds of meetings at every colliery have been organised and in Hazaribagh coal area, it seems that their efforts will reap good results. INTUC leaders Kishore Prasad, RP Singh, Vindyachal Bediya, leaders of BMS RK Upadhyay, Amarnath Verma, Nl Das, Jagannath Bhagat, leaders of HMS Chandeshwar Singh, Ramesh Vishwakarma, Pradeep Patwa, Arun Choudhary of AITUC, Harish Thakur, Sukhsagar Singh, Vinod Kumar, Shekhar Kumar of CITU are working hard in the colliery areas.