CITU threatens strike against eight-hour day in NLC

Cuddalore, Feb 4 (PTI) Protesting imposition ofeight-hour duty for office staff at the Neyveli LigniteCorporation (NLC), CITU today threatened the union would go onstrike if the management did not restore the seven-hour workschedule, in vogue for more than 50 years.

NLC abandoned its long-standing practice of a seven-hourday for office staff in favour of an eight-hour day from Feb1, 2011.

C Kuppusamy, President of the Cuddalore wing of the CITU,told reporters that NLC had been following an eight-hour dayfor the past 50 years. "All the 6,000 office staff areobjecting to the new working hours", he said.

"If the NLC does not withdraw the new working hoursordered by NLC Chairman A N Ansari, all the trade unions willstage picketing, road roko and go on strike, for which datewill be annunced soon", he said.

Meanwhile, the NLC-authorised DMK trade union staged aone-day hunger fast against the eight-hour day in Neyvelitoday.