M Karunanidhi demands government holds talks to end NLC deadlock

 

In a statement, party president M. Karunanidhi  said Tamil Nadu was facing a threat of power supply disruption as 10,000 temporary staff had also now joined the striking 12,000 permanent NLC staff. 

 

Urging Tamil Nadu government to hold talks to settle the issue amicably, he said that there has to be a consensus between the Centre, state and employees. The issue had remained a problem for the last 42 months.

 

Recalling that when a similar problem arose during the DMK rule, as Chief Minister he  conducted discussions among the stakeholders. The problem was resolved.  Even during the past four years, DMK, through its party labour union representatives, had approached the Union ministers concerned.

 

The NLC workers have been demanding wage hike, regularisation of jobs and appointment on compassionate grounds. NLC is a profit making public sector undertaking and the employees ought to be heard to ensure that power supply to the state is not affected, he said.

 

Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa had written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the Centre’s intervention; but this is not enough. There should be an immediate meeting with the stakeholders to find a solution. The Union Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya had on Thursday assured that the Centre will find a solution to the NLC strike by Saturday.