The 14,000-strong regular employees of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation began an indefinite strike from Wednesday night as conciliatory talks on the extent of arrears payment remained deadlocked.
A broad agreement has been reached over the percentage of increase in wages and allowances that fell due on January 1, 2007. The management has agreed to pay 25 per cent fitment benefit of the basic pay from January 1, 2007, three per cent additional increment and three per cent additional weightage from September 1, 2009 and 40 per cent common allowance from January 1, 2010. It has also announced a work related allowance of 19 per cent for mines operations, 10 per cent for thermal operations and 8 per cent for service areas.
But the trade unions are demanding the payment of additional increment from January 1, 2007.
