The Madras High Court has granted interim injunction to a strike call from May 14 given by 10 unions of the Neyvelli Lignite Corporation. Justice K. Ravichandra Babu granted the interim stay based on a petition filed by chief regional manager of the NLC. According to the petitioner, the wage settlement discussions for the five-year period from 2012 to 2016 are on with two recognised unions — NLC Workers Progressive Union and NLC Anna Workers and Staff Union.
The NLC had paid an ad-hoc advance to all the eligible workmen from 2012 pursuant to an understanding reached with the recognised unions representing the employees. “The 10 unions are not eligible to raise the wage issue with the petitioner and consequently are not entitled to indulge in any form of agitation on the issue,” stated the petitioner. Besides, the petitioner claimed the unions, including the CITU, did not give proper strike notice in advance as per law.
