Telangana: Trade unions gear up for SCCL recognized union polls

The final list of voters will be published on December 8 and the election will be held from 7 am to 5 pm on December 27

Peddapalli: Trade unions are gearing up for the elections to decide the recognized trade union of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) scheduled to be held on December 27.

In this regard, trade union elections returning officer Srinivasulu on Monday organized a meeting with the leaders of 13 labour unions at Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) office, Hyderabad and handed over a voter list of coal workers. Unions were asked to come up with objections if any by December 6.

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In order to conduct trade union polls on October 28, election authorities had also accepted nominations from trade unions and also allocated symbols. However, the polls were put on hold due to assembly elections. With the assembly elections process completed, the returning officer has started the process for recognised trade union polls.

The final list of voters will be published on December 8 and the election will be held from 7 am to 5 pm on December 27.

Polling is going to be held in 84 polling stations in 11 areas across the Singareni. 39,916 miners are going to exercise their votes. The details of workers (voters) working in different areas of SCCL are that Bellampalli-985, Mandamarri-4,876, Srirampur-9,124, Corporate-1,192, Kothagudem-2,370, Manugur-2,414, Illendu-603, Naini-02, Bhupalapalli-5,350, Ramagundam-I-5,430, Ramagundam-II-3,479, Ramagundam-III-3,063, APA-944 and Retired-84.

With the stage all set for the polling, trade unions have begun efforts to attract coal mine workers. A total of 13 trade unions including five national unions AITUC, INTUC, CITU, HMS and BMS and BRS trade union Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS) and other unions are participating in polls.

Though providing Income Tax exemption is a long pending demand, privatisation of coal blocks has become a cause of concern for workers in the recent past since few blocks in SCCL have been put on sale. Though the BRS government resumed the dependent jobs scheme in SCCL, it could not provide an IT exemption facility since the IT sector falls under central government. Privatization is also the subject of the Centre.

Though its period has expired, TBGKS is continuing as a recognized trade union. Its leaders are trying to attract miners by explaining about achievements done by their union. They are explaining that the Telangana government has recruited nearly 19,463 persons in the Singareni in the last nine and half years as against only 6,400 jobs recruited before the formation of the Telangana state.

Moreover, the turnover of the company has been increased to Rs 33,000 from Rs 11,000 crore and profits to Rs 2,184 crore from Rs 419 crore. Earlier, only Rs 40 crore was paid to workers as a bonus. However, this year, Rs 700 crore bonus was paid for Dasara festival.On the other hand, Congress party affiliated union INTUC leaders are promising to strive hard to protect the interests of workers. Claiming that the then Congress government at the Centre saved SCCL from being declared as a sick industry by giving Rs 600 crore funds for its revival in the past, they are promising to solve the long pending problems of miners.

Congress party, which won a number of MLA seats in Singareni areas in recent elections, was confident enough of electing as a recognized trade union.

A strong labour union in Singareni, AITUC is also confident of capturing recognized trade union status by winning in majority areas of the company.