All central Trade Unions in Tamil Nadu have expressed their solidarity with the striking contract workers of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation and decided to stage State-wide agitation on May 30. The decision was taken at an all-trade unions' meeting held under the chairmanship of S. Kuppusamy, leader of the Labour Progressive Front, in Chennai on Wednesday.
Trade union sources told The Hindu that those who attended the meeting included A. Rajavel of the LPF; A. Soundararajan, MLA, and R. Singaravelu of the CITU; S.S. Thiagarajan and T.M. Murthy of the AITUC; R.P.K. Murugesan of the INTUC; M. Subramaniam of the HMS; K. Palanisamy and K. Loganathan of the BMS; A.S. Kumar and N. Kumaresh of the AICCTU; V. George of the MLF; and V. Sivakumar of the AIUTUC.
A resolution stated that 13,000 contract workers of the NLC were on strike for the past 33 days seeking regularisation and equal pay for equal work. All Central trade unions and a majority of political parties have supported their cause and sought the intervention of Central and State governments for a speedy, negotiated settlement. The issue was raised in the Assembly and Parliament. It noted that though several rounds of conciliatory talks were held, a solution was elusive owing to the stubborn attitude of the NLC management.
The resolution alleged that the management was not amenable to the recommendations of District Collector Rajendra Ratnoo and Regional Labour Commissioner M.M. Jagannatha Rao. who had made specific references to the management, including exploring the feasibility of getting the special leave petition pending before the Supreme Court vacated.
It noted that Tamil Nadu was facing a power crisis and small and medium enterprises were finding the going tough. If regular employees who had expressed their support (by wearing black badges to work sites, boycotting NLC canteens and holding gate meetings) were to take direct action, power generation at the NLC would come to a halt.
It urged the Centre to take expeditious steps for early resolution of the issue. The State government should also urge the Centre to find a speedy solution.
On May 30, the Central trade unions will stage agitation at the district headquarters and picket public sector undertakings all over the State.
The same day, members of these unions would send identical telegrams to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal, urging them to resolve the issue expeditiously. The unions will organise a joint public meeting at Neyveli on June 7.
The Centre is awaiting the Labour Commissioner's report to determine whether and in what manner it should intervene in the protracted strike by contract workers at the NLC, Mallikarjun Kharge, Union Minister of Labour and Employment, said on Friday.
Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of a function to launch the silver jubilee complex of the National Instructional Media Institute, Mr. Kharge said the Centre's view was that the NLC issue be resolved at the earliest.