Coal India trade unions hold 'peaceful' protest adhering to COVID safety guidelines

New Delhi, June 10 () Coal India trade unions on Wednesday held a peaceful protest while adhering to coronavirus-related safety guidelines to oppose the government's "wrong policies", the Hind Khadan Mazdoor Federation, affiliated to the Hind Mazdoor Sabha, said.

"The central trade unions namely Hind Mazdoor Sabha, AITUC, INTUC...(held) dharna, procession today," Nathulal Pandey, president of the Hind Khadan Mazdoor Federation, said.

The trade unions, he said, peacefully lodged their protest awakening the coal workers about the wrong policies of the central government like commercial mining, amendment of labour laws, weakening the rights of workers and separation of consultancy arm the Central Mines Planning and Design Institute Ltd (CMPDIL) from Coal India.

Pandey, however, expressed hopes that the government will withdraw all the wrong decisions taken against Coal India as well as workers.

As per various reports coming from different parts of the country, coal sector workers started dharna or agitation peacefully by following the guidelines of state/Centre due to COVID-19, like adhering to social distancing norms and wearing masks, he said.

Pandey said that 'Thursdsay' will be observed as "Black Day" by coal workers.

The main demands of the unions are "stop auction of coal blocks for commercial mining to private agencies, stop the proposal for separation of CMPDIL from Coal India and proposed merger of CMPDIL with Mining Exploration Corporation Ltd", among others." SID MKJ