KOLKATA (miningweekly.com) - After opting out of a day-long strike last month, trade unions representing staff from miner Coal India Limited (CIL) have taken an aggressive stance threatening an indefinite strike to protest the Indian government’s move to open up coal mining to private investors.

The trade unions, claiming to represent 90% of CIL’s workforce of 350 000, have sought a meeting with the government within the next two to three days to press for the reversal of the government’s reform of the coal sector failing which the unions would go on an indefinite strike crippling mining operations across the country.

The unions said that the government would need to meet workers’ representatives before the Coal Mines Ordinance was placed before the current session of Parliament, where the aim was to have it ratified into a law permitting private companies to mine for coal, which had until now been the sole domain of government companies.

“If the government does not we will do whatever to reverse the government’s decision. We have already requested for a meeting with either the Coal Minister or Secretary to the Coal Ministry and if such a meeting is not scheduled within a day or two, we will decide on the next course of action, which, of course, could involve an indefinite strike,” the Indian National Mineworkers Federation's general secratary S Q Zama said.

“At this moment our main agenda is to stop privatisation of commercial mining of coal. We will stop it at any cost,” he said.

On Tuesday, the Coal Mine Ordinance was cleared by the Cabinet of Ministers and was being scheduled for placement before Parliament for ratification and passage into a formal legislation.

Last month the trade unions had deferred a day-long strike on the same issue on assurances from the government that the trade unions would be consulted before a final decision was taken on opening up coal mining for private companies.