New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) Ahead of Diwali, the Centre todayannounced higher one-time advance of Rs 51,000 instead of Rs40,000 to each of the three lakh non-executive employees ofCoal India Ltd (CIL) and its subsidiaries by October 17.
The one-time advance would be paid to employees currentlyon the rolls of the company. It will be paid before Diwali,Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said in a statement.
Trade unions have hailed the decision, he said, addingthat this has brought new-found optimism among coal workersfurthering their Diwali cheer.
It may be recalled the year-long wage negotiations wereconcluded between CIL management and trade unionrepresentatives much to the satisfaction of the employees andmanagement who received a 20 per cent increase on wages.
"The main thrust of the wage negotiation was to makeavailable 'reliable and affordable power to all' and socialsecurity for workers," Goyal said.
Lauding state-run CIL workers for their efforts inachieving higher coal output, the minister exhorted theemployees to continue on the path of growth in coal productionand break all the previous records.
There was 10.1 per cent growth in coal output inSeptember, while 13 per cent so far in the current month.
Also, coal dispath to power sector in September was higherat 21 per cent and around 22 per cent till yesterday, he saidwhile extending prosperous Diwali greetings to all theemployees. PTI LUXMKJ.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.