The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs), independent sectoral federations and associations have claimed complete success for the coal workers’ strike for three days, on July 2-4, 2020, stating that it brought the coal mines and establishments under the Coal India and the SCCL to “grinding halt with no production and no dispatch of coal.”
The strike was called to oppose and resist the government decision to completely privatise the coal sector through unregulated commercial mining of coal and trading by private sector, including foreign entities. This is “much to the detriment of national interests and self-reliance”, a CTU statement said, adding, the impact of the strike was “to the tune of 9 million tons of coal production and dispatch could not take place.”
Consisting of mainly of left-wing and Congress-backed trade unions, CTUs said, “The coal workers and their unions have put up a heroic and united battle to defend the energy security of the country and self reliance and against handing over the vital natural and mineral resources of the country for loot and plunder by private corporates of Indian and foreign brands meant solely for their profit motive.”
Demanding to take back its “disastrous" policy of privatising the coal mines, CTUs said, the government is “dangerously” liberalizing foreign entry in vital sector of the economy like defence production from 49 to 74% along with corporatization of 41 ordnance factories , privatizing Indian Railways and train services on “highly remunerative routes.”
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