Labour unions of the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) mines went on strike for the second consecutive day on Friday. The workers raised slogans against the e-auction of coal blocks to private parties.
Leaders of national labour unions went to mines and directly appealed to the labourers to support the strike as many Telenagana coal mine workers did not extend their support. Police were present at the site of the protest to ensure peaceful conduct and social distancing.
Trade unions like Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU), All India Construction Workers Federation (AICWF), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and Singareni Collieries Employees Union (SCEU) lent their support to the cause.
A worker present at the site said, "All the Left unions, including Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and Hindustan Mazdoor Sangh (HMS) called for a three-day-strike from July 2 to 4 against the abidance of the central government towards labour procedures. There are 11 coal mines in Singareni and countrywide there are 50. The central government has decided to sell them off. Chief Minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) is indirectly helping in this. According to him, labour unions are keeping quiet even though they are selling the coal mines. We are demanding that they do not go through with privatisation."
"We not only blame Modi but also KCR. On behalf of the public, we are requesting the state government to safeguard the workers and arrange for an all-party meeting to fight against the central government. We are ready to make any kind of sacrifice to protect the Singareni mines," he added.
Similar strikes have taken place in Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Earlier in May, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the central government will introduce competition, transparency and private sector participation in the coal sector and will do infrastructure development of Rs 50,000 crore.
( With inputs from ANI )