HC slaps injunction against NLC workers’ plan to go on strike

The Madras High Court on Monday granted an interim injunction against various unions of Neyveli Lignite Corporation restraining them from disrupting mining and generation activities of NLC.

Justice T Raja, before whom the petitions filed by NLC Chief Regional Manager M Maheswaran came up, granted the stay on the strike declaration notice by the unions from July 2. NLC submitted it is a public utility service employing 16,000 people, besides workers engaged by contractors to carry out non-perennial works like maintenance. The Corporation said the wage structure for <g data-gr-id="16">unionized</g> category of workmen is determined through negotiated settlement between the management and bargaining agents who are usually the negotiating trade unions. Negotiations for wage settlement from 2007 to 2012 could not be held due to pending court cases by various unions. After NLC Workers Progressive Union and NLC Anna Workers and Staff union emerged as biggest unions in 2012 and were authorised to take part in wage talks for four years, talks were held and the unions made several demands, NLC said.