People's Democracy

CITU Demands Govt Intervention in Neyveli Strike

THROUGH a statement issued by its president A K Padmanabhan, on New Delhi, October 16, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has extended full support to the strike of contract workers of Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC), a giant mini ratna public sector undertaking (PSU) under the ministry of coal, which is engaged in the mining of lignite and generation of power.

All the contract workers in NLC, numbering more than 12,000, have been on a strike from September 19, demanding regularisation and wage parity. Working for more than 12 years, these workers have been conducting struggles continuously on these demands. All the unions including the CITU, AITUC, LPF, INTUC, ATP have been involved in their struggle. While the workers have been steadfast on their demands and are continuing the struggle, the LPF union of the state’s ruling party had signed a settlement with the management agreeing for a meagre increase of Rs 45 per day. Despite this, the workers are continuing the strike struggle and also conducting joint rallies and demonstrations.

The CITU has demanded that the government of India should immediately intervene to address the long pending just demands of regularisation and increase in the wages of contract workers in the NLC. (INN)