Strike hits coal production, supply in Jharkhand

 The strike by various trade unions to protest the allowing of 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in coal mining has made impact in coal mining and fuel despatch in Jharkhand.

"There is huge impact of the trade unions strike. More than 76 per cent staff are on strike. It has made deep impact on coal mining and it's despatch" said a source in state-run Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) to IANS.

The CCL Public Relation Officer, Deepak Kumar told IANS that "there is some impact of the strike".

The company source said that the CCL staff have also tried to hamper the mining done by private parties on outsourcing basis. The mining work is halted at different collieries of CCL. The impact of the strike is more than 95 per cent at Barka Sayal, Bhurkunda and Magadh collieries, among others.

The mining machines are standing idle and the collieries wear a deserted look.

Various trade unions like The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) have jointly called the strike against 100 per cent FDI in coal mining.

Besides the CCL, coal mining has also been affected at Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL), Dhanbad. In BCCL Dhanbad, the strike impact is more than 80 per cent.IANS