New Delhi: State-run Coal India Limited (CIL) told the stock exchanges on Wednesday that the three-day strike planned by trade unions has been deferred. “In supersession to our letter No CIL:XI(D):4157/4156:2023 dated 27.09.2023, kindly note that the representatives of Trade Unions while considering the appeal of the Management, CIL conveyed that the strike in establishments of CIL/subsidiaries is deferred.” Five trade unions had issued a call for three-day strike from October 12 to 14 over issues pertaining to the implementation of wage revision.
The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) said that the strike has been deferred after a court ordered the CIL management to pay salaries to its non-executive workforce as per the latest wage agreement, National Coal Wage Agreement (NCWA-XI). The strike call had earlier been issued for October 5-7 and had later postponed it to October 12-14.
In June 2023, the coal ministry said it approved a wage revision agreement that was reached with trade unions for non-executive employees of Coal India. The agreement provides for 19 percent of minimum guaranteed benefit from July 1, 2021, on emoluments - basic, Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA), Special Dearness Allowance (SDA) and attendance bonus, besides a 25 percent increase in allowances.
The wage agreement has become a bone of contention between the management and its workforce since it was agreed upon. While non-executive workforce is demanding salaries according to the agreement, the executive workforce is demanding a revision of their salaries as after the signing of the wage agreement, the emoluments of certain grade of executives have become less in comparison to the non-executive workforce. The executives of Coal India and its subsidiaries have also threatened a strike in October, under the umbrella of the All India Association of Coal Executives (AIACE), if their demands are not met.