Madras High Court restrains NLC unions from going on strike

Chennai: The Madras high court on Wednesday restrained the CITU-NLC labour and staff union and nine other unions from proceeding with their strike from May 14. Further, the court has restrained them from indulging in agitation either inside or in the vicinity of installations and offices of NLC which disrupts its mining and generation activities. Justice K. Ravichandra Baabu, who granted the interim injunction, further said the unions should not threaten and prevent willing workers of the NLC from attending to their work.

He also ordered notice to the regional labour commissioner (Central) and 10 trade unions and posted after four weeks further hearing of the petition filed by Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd. According to the petitioner, a wage settlement could not be reached for the five-year term covering 2012-2016, consequent to the expiry of the earlier settlement. Pending revision of wages, the NLC paid and continued to pay ad-hoc advances to all eligible workmen from 2012 till date.

The ad hoc payment was being made pursuant to the understanding reached between NLC and recognised unions/negotiating agents on May 26, 2014. Meanwhile, the 10 non-negotiating trade unions sent letters with various demands which, if implemented, were directly in conflict with the directives of the Central government, department of public enterprises guidelines on wage revision.
The unions also enclosed a notice intending to go on strike from May 14. The regional labour commissioner took cognisance of the matter and initiated conciliation proceedings by issuing a notice calling the NLC and the 10 trade unions to appear before him for talks on May 11.

However, the unions continued their agitation by holding gate meetings. The company felt that there was every reason to apprehend that on and from May 14, the mining and generation activities of the corporation will be hampered and also lead to all kinds of consequences that will hit power production.