The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : SCCL ends 2007 sans strikes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 30, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

SCCL ends 2007 sans strikes

N. Rahul

The coal giant creates a history of sorts

AITUC serves notice to go on strike in January 2008
Industrial relations perfect in the year 2007: CMD

HYDERABAD: In spite of the strike threat by coal workers looming large, the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is all set to rewrite history as it will see off a totally strike-free 2007 on Monday. This will be a record for the company in over three decades.

The path of SCCL to achieving the distinction was, however, not smooth as the recognised workers union represented by the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) made aggressive attempts to launch a strike in the last few days demanding that the government drop its move to recover professional tax from the wages of workers from January. The union has even served a notice on the management to go on strike and has convened a meeting with other unions on January 2 to finalise the date.

Year 2006

SCCL Chairman and Managing Director S. Narsing Rao said the company could have created the record last year (2006) itself but for strikes in three individual underground mines. In one of the mines where four workers were killed in an accident, the workers had abstained from duty for a day as the recovery of bodies from the spot was delayed.

He also said a strike in the company was averted in 2006 with the Indian National Trade Union Congress, the then recognised union, refusing to join a nationwide agitation sponsored by Central trade unions. Mr. Rao said nothing of the sort took place in 2007. Industrial relations during the year were perfect.

Track record

Prior to 1998-99, SCCL had a poor track record of industrial peace but elections for the recognised unions at company and area-levels in that year changed the scene. The management was able to negotiate with the recognised unions and ensure enforcement of the agreements which could not happen in earlier times for want of recognised unions.

Of a total annual production of 250 lakh tonnes, the company had lost 30 to 35 lakh tonnes of coal and about 40 lakh mandays due to strikes each year until 1998.

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