Senior Congress leaders, including Korba district president Harish Parsai, veteran leader Tanveer Ahmed, Vishal Shukla and Ramu Kanwar, reached the Dipka coal mine early in the morning to show solidarity with striking workers. They joined labour leaders at the site, spoke to the workers, and reiterated the party’s support for the nationwide one-day strike.
Harish Parsai said the party was backing the strike on the instructions of the Congress leadership. He added that the Congress opposes the policies and practices of the BJP government and would continue to raise its voice against them. “The government’s labour reforms and other policy decisions are against the interests of workers,” he said, alleging that these measures would weaken workers’ rights and job security.
He also appealed to workers to remain united and continue their protest peacefully. Parsai said the Congress party would support their demands and take the matter to higher levels if needed. “We stand with labourers in their fight for fair wages, job security and protection of their rights,” he added.
Workers Extend Support
Tanveer Ahmed said that the strike received widespread backing from labour leaders and employees from early morning. He said the support was visible across major mines, including Kusmunda and Manikpur. In these mines, trade union leaders appealed to first-shift employees to join the strike, and many workers agreed to participate.
Workers in the mines reportedly gathered at key entry points and held discussions with union leaders before deciding to suspend work. Some workers also shared that they were worried about proposed changes in labour laws and the potential impact on their future.
Congress leaders and labour representatives described the strike as successful, stating that the full support of workers was received. They said the one-day strike could cause losses to South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), though the exact financial impact was yet to be calculated. Union leaders said the strike was intended to send a strong message to the government and emphasised that they would escalate their agitation if their concerns were not addressed.
