NLC strike called off, 13,000 contract workers to join duty

Chennai, Jun 17 (UNI) The more than two-week long strike by the contract workers in the public sector Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) was called off today after they reached an agreement with the management.

After making considerable headway in the first round of the tripartite talks on June 13 with the management, in the presence of Union minister of state for coal, representatives of the workers signed an MoU with the NLC management this morning in Delhi, breaking the impasse.

''We have called off the strike and all the 13,000 workers would report for duty from today. There was already 100 per cent presence in the first shift'', Mr M Sekar, District General Secretary, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), who represented the workers in the talks told UNI over phone from New Delhi.

He said after a breakthrough was achieved on June 13 when NLC came forward to concede three of the major demands, a MoU was signed by the Chief Labour Commissioner, NLC Director (Personnel) Babu Rao and Builders Association President Loganathan, representing workers.

A final shape was being given to the agreement.

Mr M Sekar said as per the agreement, it was decided to allow 5000 of the 13,000 contract workers to become members of Industrial Cooperative Society, the gateway for regularisation.

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