Strike hits coal production in Talcher

Odisha Channel Bureau Angul, Dec 8: Coal production and despatch in Talcher coalfields came to a grinding halt today hitting coal supply to power sector due to cease work strike by contractual workers.“Coal production in first shift (from 6 am to 2 pm) was nil.So was the despatch as no coal could be despatched to any of the power stations in and outside Talcher due to strike.Talcher produces about 2.4 lakh tonne of coal per day from its eight mega coalmines.So in each shift we lose about 80000 tonne of coal,” said Director (Project and Planning) J.P.Singh.There are almost 7000 contractual workers engaged in various private contract agencies that actually produce and despatch coal.So there has been no production nor despatch due to the strike of these workers.Coal supply to NALCO power plant and NTPC plant also has been hit due to strike today.Workers union sources said that they resorted to strike because the company is making delay in paying agreed puja bonus to workers till yet showing some flimsy ground.There has been also no payment against the paid holidays.The oppression by the private contractors is too much as they force the low paid workers to work for 12 hours a day without any recess hour.They force the workers to sign on blank paper to prove that they actually are paid good and work only for eight hours per day.“The strike is totally illegal as there no prior notice .The matter is kept pending in the central labour commissioner as regards to payment of bonus.About 70 per cent workers have already paid bonus as remaining will be paid as per the decision of labour department,” Singh added.