By Sapna Dogra and Jonathan Fox

March 16, 2018 - Four trade unions at state-run Coal India Limited (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) have called a strike for April 16 to protest against the sale of the coal producers by the Indian government, India's coal minister Piyush Goyal said Friday.

The two coal producers received a joint strike notice from Indian trade unions -- Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Goyal said in a reply to a question in India's parliament.

The government is holding talks with the unions to avert the industrial action, he added.

Last month, the Indian government approved the opening up of India's coal mining sector to the private sector in order to bring efficiency, competition and better technology to the industry.

Currently, CIL dominates commercial coal mining in the country as the largest producer of domestic coal.

Indian steel, power and cement companies can mine coal in India, but only for their own use after winning control of coal blocks through auction.

Commercial mining reforms will change this, and there will be no restrictions on the sale or utilization of coal from Indian mines. The industry will be open to both Indian as well as foreign companies after the reforms. 

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