NLC employees reject PM's offer of shares

Cuddalore, July 3 (UNI) Rejecting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's offer of shares during the ten per cent disinvestment, employees of the Public Sector Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) today declared that they would go ahead with the indefinite strike from tomorrow.

''We will not accept disinvestment in any form and continue the agitation till the Centre withdraws its decision to disinvest 10 per cent its equity in the public sector undertaking,'' Trade unions of employees, executives and officers' federation said in a resolution after a day's hunger strike today.

The federation, representing about 20,000 employees and officers who observed a day long fast today, on the eve of the indefinite strike, in a unanimous resolution, made it clear that the employees were not interested in purchasing the shares, as suggested by the Prime Minister.

Purchasing the shares would amount to accepting disinvestment, the resolution said, adding the employees were opposed to disinvestment in any form and they would not rest till the Centre withdrew its decision.

Power generation in the NLC was already hit as the employees after their ''work to rule'' agitation on July one and two, launched the hunger strike today and are all set to go ahead with their indefinite strike from tomorrow. ''Mine operation has already taken a beating and power genertation would come to a halt tomorrow,'' a trade union leader said.

All political parties in Tamil Nadu, including the ruling DMK, have pledged support to the employees in their bid to make the Centre withdraw its decision. While DMK Minister M R K Panneerselvam took part in the hunger strike. Leader of the opposition and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa wished the employees all success.

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