The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : NLC issues warning as contract labourers go on strike

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 17, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

NLC issues warning as contract labourers go on strike

Special Correspondent

Unlikely to have immediate impact on power generation; mining may be hit

NEYVELI: A majority of the contract labourers of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation went on a strike on Monday, in support of a 10-point charter of demands.

According to official sources, of the 10,000-odd labourers, over 80 per cent abstained from work. The strike would not have immediate impact on power generation.

Mining operations might suffer a setback as these labourers are engaged in the maintenance of heavy machinery and huge conveyor belts carrying lignite to thermal stations.

The NLC management declared the strike illegal, and appealed to the workers to return to work. In a circular, it stated that since it was a public utility service, any disruption in power generation would harm the interests of the country, organisation and labourers.

It noted that three rounds of conciliatory talks were held in the presence of the Central Assistant Labour Commissioner in Chennai on June 16, July 2 and 14. In the third round, it was decided to resume the talks on July 26.

The Assistant Labour Commissioner had directed the management not to make any deduction from the wages, and the trade union not to go on strike till the issue was resolved. Accordingly, the management instructed the contractors not to deduct the advance of Rs 1,500 paid to the labourers for Deepavali in November 2006 from this month’s wages.

A violation

The circular stated that when the talks were under way and the demands under consideration of the management, the strike was violation of the Industrial Disputes Act 1947.

It pointed out that the Jeeva Contract Labourers’ Union, affiliated to the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), had agreed not to resort to agitation.

The management warned the labourers that if they did not resume work, they would have to either forfeit eight days’ wages or be relieved from service.

AITUC secretary P. Kuppuswamy said the major demands of the labourers included a wage hike of Rs. 19.23 a day; payment of arrears from February 2004; regularisation of those who had served over 10 years; free treatment for labourers in the NLC general hospital; and transfer of EPF accounts from the Tiruchi PF Commissioner’s office to the NLC Provident Fund Trust.

AITUC district secretary M. Sekar sought intervention of State and Central Governments to resolve the issue.

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