Employees stop production in NALCO to protest disinvestment

Angul, June 23 (UNI) Production of aluminium in the smelter plant of NALCO came to a grinding halt today following a 24-hour cease-work by the employees to protest the Centre's decision to offload 10 per cent equity in the company.

National Aluminium Company (NALCO) Executive Director Uma Ballav Pattnaik said all the pot lines in the smelter plant were kept active though metal production was hampered.

Similarly all the six units of the company's captive power plant were running to keep up supply to pot lines, he added.

Nalco Coordination Committee President B C Ray claimed the strike was a total success and the company would incur a loss of Rs 20 crore per day.

He said the employees would intensify agitation and stop the production if the Centre did not reconsider its decision.

Mr Patnaik said the employees have served the strike notice last night and about 153 officers and few contract workers would run the power plant and pots to avoid a total collapse of production.

He said all the six units of the captive power plant were running despite thin attendance of the employees due to the strike call.

about 630 MW of power was generated in the power plant to maintain the pots, furnace and other electrical utilities.

About 5000 Nalco employees, including 1150 executives in power and smelter plant, have resorted to the strike to protest the Centre's decision to disinvest 10 per cent equity.

Mr Patnaik said the production of about 950 tonnes of finished products had almost stopped following the strike notice served by the agitating employees.

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