Coal India unions call 3-day strike against stake sale

Five trade unions operating in Coal India (CIL) and its subsidiaries have served a strike notice against a proposed 5 per cent stake sale in the state miner.

The five trade unions - Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), AICWF and All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)- represent about 90 per cent of CIL's 383,000-strong workforce.

In a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange, the PSU said: "Five central trade unions operating in Coal India and its subsidiaries have served strike notice for three days with effect from September 23 to 25 against proposed disinvestment of 5 per cent of CIL shares and other demands."

CIL also said the All India Coal Workers' Federation (CITU) is understood to have decided to withdraw their three-days strike slated to start September 19, and join other unions in the strike beginning September 23.

CIL, the world's largest miner producing over 80 per cent of India's coal, produced 452.21 million tonnes in 2012-13. The threatened strike is estimated to hit output to the tune of more than Rs 500 crore.