Singareni unions threaten stir

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, AUG. 8. The Joint Action Committee of the recognised and representative workers unions of the Singareni Collieries, has again threatened to serve a strike notice, if the management does not end its ``revengeful actions'' against workers and concede its demands.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Y. Gattaiah, general secretary of the AITUC-affiliated Singareni Collieries Workers Union and convenor of Joint Action Committee,

said it was unfortunate that a few days after deferment of the 13-day strike, the management began harassing workers, by declaring a ban on helpers to the trademen.

This was agitating the minds of workers, he said and demanded that the facility be restored. Mr. B. Bikshamaiah and Mr. Riaz Ahmed, president and general secretary of the Indian Federation of Trade Unions and Hind Mazdoor Sabha respectively, were present.

Mr. Gattaiah said the next step taken by the management was to cut two days wages of May 8 and 9 from the salaries of workers in the Bhopalapalli coal mines. Actually the strike proposed to begin on May 8 was deferred following assurances given by the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu. But this message reached the miners in Bhoopalapalli on May 9 as there was no telephone facility there. They went on a strike for a day. The management instead of taking a lenient view, acted with vengeance, by resorting to the cut now in the July salary, sparking a strike by miners there from August 3.

Their other demands include payment of arrears in cash as promised by August 14, reimbursement of expenditure incurred on gas cylinders irrespective of where they are bought, jobs to dependents who retire before their term on medical grounds and withdrawal of restrictions on workers contesting in local bodies elections.

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Section  : Southern States
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