Coal Executives’ body asks CIL to fix pay conflict issue by Sep 30, warns of strike

New Delhi: In a letter addressed to the Coal India Ltd (CIL) Chairman, PM Prasad, a body representing executives in coal PSUs has urged the management to fix the issue of pay conflict between the executive and non-executive workforce by September 30, or face agitation by the employees. “It is brought to kind notice that executives are very much agitated over the issue and may resort to any action as decided in future if the issue is not resolved in time. It is once again requested for initiating appropriate needful actions immediately to provide Personal Pay (PP) to executives and eliminate the conflict latest by 30th September, 2023. Otherwise, executives may be compelled to resort to the agitational path, including strike, if needed afterward,” All India Association of Coal Executives (AIACE) principal general secretary PK Singh Rathor has said in the letter.

Wage revision at CIL has led to pay conflict between workers, executives

Since the Coal Ministry has approved a wage revision agreement that was reached with trade unions for non-executive employees of Coal India Limited (CIL), the AIACE has flagged the issue of pay conflict between officers and workers. The body has said that after the implementation of the revision, the salary of workers has exceeded that of Coal India and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd’s executive employees and has sought intervention from the management of CIL to address this concern.

Coal India okayed 25% hike in allowances for non-executive employees

The agreement signed between the CIL management and the trade union representatives provides for a 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. In a communication to Coal India, the ministry said, “The MoA (memorandum of agreement) for NCWA-XI as signed by Coal India Limited, Singareni Collieries Company Limited and trade union representatives, has been confirmed.”

The agreement was reached in May by the Joint Bipartite Committee for the Coal Industry (JBCCI)-XI consisting of representatives of CIL management, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), five central trade unions - BMS, HMS, AITUC, CITU and Indian National Mine Workers' Federation (INMF).

The agreement will benefit around 2.81 lakh employees of CIL and SCCL who were on the rolls of the company as on July 1, 2021. CIL has made a provision of Rs 9,252.24 crore for a period of 21 months effective July 1, 2021, to March 31, 2023, for this effect.

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