Raja seeks coal minister’s intervention to end NLC strike
By IANSThursday, July 1, 2010
CHENNAI - Communications Minister A. Raja Thursday
urged the Minister of State for Coal, Shriprakash Jaiswal, to intervene in the wage negotiations and help end the strike at the mining and power generation company Neyveli Lignite Corporation.
In a letter to Jaiswal, which was released to the media, Raja called for an erly end to the strike. Workers at NLC have struck work since Wednesday night after their wage revision talks failed.
There are two major unions, DMK-backed NLC Workers Progressive Union (NLCWPU) and Pattali Thozil Sangam (PTS) affiliated to the PMK at the NLC which represent a majority of the 14,000 permanent workers. They are being supported by other unions.
While the mining work has come to a halt, the power plants are generating around 2,275 MW power.
“Power plants cannot be shut down at the touch of a button. The plant will run till the lignite stocks last,” a NLC official told IANS.
–Indo Asian News Service
