NTPC, SAIL employees demand financial autonomy, threaten stir

New Delhi, July 11 (UNI) Officers of country's top public sector companies including NTPC and SAIL today threaten to go on strike next month, if their demand for greater financial autonomy are not met.

Officers associations of NTPC, National Hydroelectric Power Corp, Power Finance Corp, Coal India and Steel Authority of India demanded autonomy for deciding pay and allowances. They also asked for the removal of monetary ceiling on gratuity and merger of dearness allowance with basic pay.

"We would be launching an agitation from August if the issues are not resolved by July 31," NTPC Executives' Federation of India Chairman V K M Tripathi told reporters.

He said the officers of the five companies would hold demonstrations in front of the Department of Public Enterprises on August 1-2.

The officers would also give notice of strike to their respective ministries shortly and submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister.

The officers would hold a relay hunger strike on September 5-6, followed by a token strike on September 12, he said, adding the joint forum has decided to go on indefinite strike after September 12 if the demands were not met. Coal India alone has about 19,000 officers, he said, adding a strike by all officers would adversely affect work in these firms and impact production of coal, steel and power generation.

President of Coal Mines Officers' Association of India, S P Mishra said there were about 46,000 officers in the five companies, all of whom would go on strike.

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