Conciliation talks between NLC workers and management fails

A conciliation talk between the workers and the management of Neyveli Lignited Corporation Ltd (NLC), on the second day of the strike related to the centre's decision to divest stake in the company, has failed.

The workers' unions which called for the strike has said that all the workers in the mines and plants of NLC has stayed away from work from Wednesday night.

The union leaders said that the conciliation talks held at Puducherry between the Unions and the company management has failed, which according to them, was an expected outcome.

The talks were as part of the requirements during any such strikes and since the decision has to come from the Central government and not from the comapny management, there was no positive outcome from the meeting said a Union leader.

The Unions have registered their protest against the management for approching the Madras High Court attempting to restrain the strike. They added that the Unions would approach the High Court to vacate the stay against conducting strikes.

Howver, the company officials were not available for comment.

There are around 13,000 regular employees, 4,500 executive level employees and another 12,000 contract and other workers in the NLC plant, according to the sources. NLC has a capacity to generate 2,490 MW at Neyveli and another 250 MW at Barsingsar in Rajasthan.

The strike was called by 16 unions against the Centre's decision to divest five per cent stake in the company.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's letter to the Prime Minister, in which she proposed that the five per cent Government of India’s shareholding in NLC be offered to one or more of Government of Tamil Nadu‘s State Public Sector Undertakings, such as the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) and Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation (TIIC).

Various ministers from the central government has said that the offer by the State Government could be considered positively, while a section of the employees are not supporting the stake sales to the State Government.

On Thursday, M Karunanidhi, president, DMK one of the key ally of Congress has written to the Congress President Sonia Gandhi, to the Prime Minister and Finance Minister, urging them to withdraw Government's decision to dilute stake in Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC).