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Singareni strike called off

Special Correspondent

CM gives assurance that all problems will be solved
Outcome comes as a big relief to authorities

HYDERABAD: The strike in the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) was called off on its fourth day on Thursday night following an assurance given by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy that all the problems of its miners and other employees would be solved through dialogue.

The announcement calling off the strike came from V. Sitaramaiah, general secretary, Singareni Collieries Workers' Union, and its other leaders soon after the end of discussions held by the Chief Minister at his camp office at 9 p.m. with them and the management representatives headed by SCCL CMD S. Narsing Rao.

The outcome came as a big relief to authorities of several thermal stations located in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra etc., as these stations did not get coal replenishments in the past four days at the required level due to the strike.

Mr. Sitaramaiah said the members of his union would join duty from 7 a.m. when the first shift would start in all the 50 SCCL mines in Khammam, Karimnagar, Warangal, and Adilabad districts.

The Chief Minister asked the management to continue the dialogue without fail with the union over its remaining demands by inviting its leaders for talks within this week.

S. Chandrasekhar, SCCL general manager (Coordination), told this correspondent that a written agreement could not be signed after the understanding was reached between the two sides as the Regional Labour Commissioner (Central) who conducted three rounds of talks earlier, was not present. He said the management had met 16 out of the 47 listed demands.

Through the dialogue, the remaining demands would be resolved, including the plea for four promotions to employees for a 30-year service.

Union leaders said they also expected the management to announce special incentive at 25 per cent to the 67,000-strong workforce in two days out of the SCCL's Rs.320-crore after-tax profit for 2010-11, compared to 16 per cent the previous year.

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