Dhanbad/Bokaro, Sept. 2: The nationwide trade union bandh today halved colliery attendance and production in Dhanbad and kept workers away en masse in Bokaro, triggering losses to the tune of Rs 320 crore in the mining belt, while life remained largely unaffected in Ranchi and Jamshedpur.
More than 90 collieries of ECL, BCCL and SAIL in Dhanbad witnessed frenetic activities in the morning as members of four central trade unions - Intuc, Citu, Aituc and Hind Mazdoor Sabha - staged demonstrations and halted production. Low attendance improved after protesters moved away around noon. However, coal transport via road remained affected till late afternoon.
At CCL and BCCL collieries in Bermo, Bokaro, more than 6,000 workers stayed away from work. No production and transportation of coal took place while 900 trucks remained stranded in Dhori, Kargali and Kathara zones.
Deputy general manager (corporate communications) of BCCL in Dhanbad R.R. Prasad said their collieries registered around 55 per cent attendance in the first and second shifts. "So, production was around 50 per cent. Dispatch was affected," he said.
Prasad added that trade union dharnas continued till 11.45am. "Out of our 29 outsourced companies, 26 had started work in the morning shift, but 11 were forced to stop production later on."
Together BCCL units in Dhanbad are known to produce 80,000 tonnes to 100,000 tonnes of coal a day and today's losses may have crossed Rs 120 crore, said officials who pegged the figure at Rs 200 crore in Bokaro.
Production at Bokaro Steel and Bokaro Power Supply Company was not as badly affected since respective managements had asked night shift employees to stay back for the morning shift. "Steel yield and power generation was normal," confirmed Bokaro Steel chief of communications Sanjay Tewary.
National general secretary of Intuc Rajendra Prasad Singh called the strike successful. "The bandh showed the unity of workers against anti-labour policies of the Centre," he said.
Banking and insurance sectors were largely affected in both Dhanbad and Bokaro. Citu leader B.D. Prasad claimed no bank or insurance company employee attended office on Wednesday.
