Coal India Limited (CIL) has hardened its stance in negotiating a coal wage agreement, with the miner this week citing an adverse business environment as a limitation to effecting a wage hike to its estimated 370 000 workers.
After eight rounds of negotiations hit a logjam, CIL stated that its inability to maximise sales, a glut of dry fuel at thermal power stations and the high costs of land acquisition for greenfield projects made it difficult for the miner to match the 25% wage hike agreed to in the previous National Coal Wage Agreement IX.
