Tripartite talks fail, strike to continue in NLC

An early end to the six-day old indefinite strike by more than 10,000 contract labourers of Neyveli Lignite Corporation looked bleak with first round of tripartite conciliatory talks held here today ending in a deadlock.
The meeting convened by Central Labour Commissioner in Chennai and attended by representatives of NLC and trade unions, including AITUC, which accounts for over 7,000 contract labourers, failed to reach any settlement, company and union officials said.
"The meeting held today has failed. NLC management insisted the contract labourers withdraw the strike. We have firmly said unless our demands are met, we will not end the strike", AITUC Cuddalore District General Secretary A Sekar told reporters here emerging from the meeting.

The second round of talks would be held on September 11 in Puducherry, he said.
The labourers have been on strike since the midnight of September 2 pressing for various demands including regularisation of their service with the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) spearheading the agitation.
NLC General Manager Balaji said during the six-hour long meeting the company informed that the ongoing strike was in contempt of court in view of the interim order by Madras High Court that restrained unions from going ahead with the stir.

"We will be forced to take some drastic measures," he told reporters here, without elaborating.

On September 5, Madras High Court had restrained nine unions from proceeding with the strike till October 7 but the trade unions chose to continue their agitation, saying they will file a petition in the court seeking vacation of the stay.
Trade unions maintained that they had been forced to go on the agitation as the company had failed to honour its assurance given before the Supreme Court on regularisation of the employees.