Coal India seeks government's help to speed up its vaccination drive after nearly 400 deaths

The coal miner has requested the government to accelerate the vaccination drive for its staff members and their families

Coal India Ltd, one of the country's biggest employers, has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to aid them to accelerate the vaccination of its workforce, after nearly 400 of its staff died due to COVID-19, according to a Bloomberg report.

The report further mentions that the world’s top coal miner, which employs about 2,59,000 people, has requested the government that about 1 million doses be made available for employees and their family members. So far, some 64,000 staff members — which means, about a quarter of the workforce — have been vaccinated, and the company is seeking to speed up the inoculation drive after unions pressed the case.

“The company should be looking at mass vaccination programmes that cover all employees and their family members so that the damage can be arrested,” the Bloomberg report quotes Sudhir Ghurde, general secretary at Akhil Bharatiya Khadan Mazdoor Sangh, one of the leading unions.

Throughout the pandemic, coal mine workers have been on the front line, ensuring that the power plants do not face shortage of the fuel that produces a large majority of India's electricity. Coal India said that most of the casualties have occurred during the deadly second wave in India.