Coal workers strike in India against privatisation

New Delhi

A STRIKE by coal miners in India shut down some mines and disrupted supply at others as unions vowed the biggest walkout in four decades to halt plans by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end the state monopoly in the industry.

"The strike is on," R Mohan Das, a personnel director at state-run Coal India Ltd, the world's biggest miner of the fuel, said on Monday. It's too early to assess supply losses, he said, adding that all workers had walked out at some mines, while others were partially closed.