Neyveli Lignite workers to strike against divestment

Around 13,000 workers at mining-cum-power generating company Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd (NLC) will go on strike anytime over the next two weeks opposing the central government's decision to divest five percent stake in the company, a union leader said.

"Tomorrow (Tuesday), we have decided to give the management a strike intimation expressing our opposition to the centre's decision. As the company is in the power sector, a strike call giving 15 days notice period will be termed as illegal. So we have decided to give a strike intimation," R.Udayakumar, secretary of the AIADMK-affiliated Anna Workers and Staff Union, told IANS over phone from Neyveli.

He said all the workers union including the DMK-affiliated Labour Progressive Front's Neyveli Unit have agreed for this.

Udayakumar said even the contract workers numbering around 11,000 will strike work crippling power generation.

As a run-up to the strike and to gather momentum, the unions have decided to show their opposition to the divestment decision by wearing black badges, hold gate meetings, and organising human chains and hunger protest.

"On the day of the hunger protest, we will announce the strike date," Udayakumar said.

According to him, workers will lose anything between Rs.800-1,500 per day as wages if they go on strike.

He said around 1,300 MW of power is supplied to Tamil Nadu out of NLC and if they go on strike, the power supply will be affected.

Opposing the decision Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a letter that any proposal to disinvest even a small portion of the share-holding will lead to considerable labour unrest and any disruption of power supply from NLC will affect Tamil Nadu which is already suffering from acute power shortage.

The NLC has 2,490 MW capacity at Neyveli and another 250 MW at Barsingsar in Rajasthan.