A week after the workers of Telangana's Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) sought the suspension of underground mining in the midst of COVID-19 lockdown, the management announced temporary layoffs of underground miners till April 14 or when the lockdown is lifted.
The temporary layoffs will come into force at as many as 22 underground mines. However, mining will continue to take place in underground mines where machines are used, as well as in 18 other open cast mines, SCCL officials said.
With more than 46,000 employees, SCCL operates in three regions across the erstwhile four districts of Khammam, Karimnagar, Warangal and Adilabad in northern Telangana.
Last week, unions had demanded that underground mining work be halted given the complexities in practising social distancing in the time of COVID-19, lack of protective gear, and other issues.
Speaking to TNM, an SCCL official said, “The management has taken a decision to go for temporary layoffs in view of the situation. As far as the safety of the employees is concerned, the workers who are continuing to work in open-cast mines are being given all sorts of protective gear to prevent COVID-19.”
With this move, over 25,000 workers will be off duty for the duration of the layoff. According to officials, on Friday, a little over 1,300 workers attended the works.
Meanwhile, workers, as well as labour unions, are demanding that the management should consider the lay off period as a 'lockdown' period and ensure full payment of wages.
The state-owned SCCL, in the wake of the government's decision to cut wages of its employees, announced that salaries of miners or labourers will be cut by 50%, while the salaries of Director rank officers will be cut by 60%.
"When there were profits, the company gave more than Rs 1 lakh as a bonus, with the accordance of state government. At present, we have to stand in support of the government and moreover, this is not a complete deduction. The deferment amounts will be paid back once things are back to normal,” however, the official from Singareni said.
Singareni is a major source of coal-based electricity power for both the Telugu states, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It also serves parts of Maharashtra and other southern states, such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to TNM, TBGKS (Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham) General Secretary Raji Reddy said, “We welcome the company’s decision but we request them to consider this layoff as a lockdown. We demand that there should not be any wage cuts or deferment in labourers’ salaries, and consider us also as essential services.”
Reddy alleged that certain national organisations or unions are creating confusion among the labourers with false claims on Coal India’s decisions in the wake of COVID-19.