AROUND half a million Indian miners went back to work today after ministers assured them that state-run Coal India Ltd was safe from privatisation.

Workers cut short their planned five-day strike after Power Minister Piyush Goyal promised that their interests would be protected late on Wednesday.

The concessions were a blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bid to open up India’s state-run mines — which account for 80 per cent of the country’s coal production — to private speculators.

Five coal industry unions had begun the strike on Tuesday, warning that privatisation would lead to illegal mining and falling wages.

They were also demanding a five-day week and social security for all workers, including contractors.

The government has set up a committee to consider union demands, said Mr Goyal.